


The hard life of a Wayne

by RiceBullet



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Maribat - Fandom, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Confident Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Don't Mess with Marinette, Ex-Assassin Marinette, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Lila Rossi Lies, Lukanette, MariBat, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Sweetheart, MiraculousxDC, Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Damian Wayne, Protective Dick Grayson, Protective Jason Todd, Protective Jon Kent, Protective Tim Drake, Vigilante Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, marijon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 62,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22443049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiceBullet/pseuds/RiceBullet
Summary: Marinette Al Ghul-Wayne is bored. So to distract herself, she decides to create a blog! She just didn't expect people to be so interested in this blog... And maybe she should have also asked her father Bruce's permission before publishing her life on the internet ? Now the whole universe is dreaming of only one thing: finding out who's behind the "Netty Wayne" mask! [Marinette is Damian's sister]
Relationships: Artemis of Bana-Mighdall/Jason Todd (mentionned), Batfamily Members & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Dick Grayson/Koriandr (mentionned), Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Jonathan Samuel Kent, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jonathan Samuel Kent
Comments: 135
Kudos: 621





	1. What if I created a blog?

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [La dure vie d’une Wayne](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22412530) by [RiceBullet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiceBullet/pseuds/RiceBullet). 



> English is not my mother tongue !
> 
> -First thing: This is a big joke not to be taken seriously...  
> -Any idea / suggestion is welcome! I would be happy to write a chapter based on an idea! (As said above, this is a big delirium which does not really have a scenario, it is more a succession of story on the life of Marinette)  
> -In this story, Marinette is the twin sister of Damian, of course they are false twins. Marinette was born first, making her the oldest of the duo.  
> \- Talia Al Ghul is their biological mother.  
> -Damian and Marinette met their father Bruce around the age of 7. In fact, Talia hid the fact that she had twins to protect Marinette, otherwise Ra’s would have killed her since she was a girl. Unfortunately, Ra's found out. So Talia called Jason to the rescue. He's the one who introduced Damian and Marinette to Bruce. As a result, Marinette is very grateful to him and gets along extremely well with Jay. Damian also respects Jason (which is a change from the comics...).  
> -Here, Marinette doesn't have a Miraculous yet, but it will come! One day…  
> -Damian and Marinette are both 12 years old. Jon here is only a year apart from the twins, making him 11 years old.

Marinette Al Ghul-Wayne was very bored.

It was the time of the big school holidays. Her best friend Jon Kent had gone to Smallville to visit his grandparents and would not return until the start of the school year... Her twin brother Damian was on an affair with their father and had not planned to return for a long time too. Her older brother Dick was in Blüdhaven and although she could visit him whenever she wanted, he worked as a police officer and couldn't really give her attention... Tim was in Europe for a contract with WE.

Stephanie and her older sister Cassandra had gone to China together. Barbara had gone to visit family members with whom the young woman had lost contact.

Even Duke had managed to travel somewhere!

Jason was somewhere in Los Angeles; Marinette would have gone a few days with him if it wasn't for the fact that no one knew that she had contact with him... -He and her father were on very bad terms. Overall, apart from Marinette and Alfred, Jason refused to talk to everyone in the family. But Marinette, who had decided not to mix "work" and "personal life" had harassed him to get his number. Despite all that her father could say, she adored her older brother above all else and eventually managed to convince him to keep in touch.

The brunette was therefore alone at the Manor with only Alfred company and the -very - many animals of her beloved brother.

Why didn't she leave then with Robin and Batman?

Because she had been inadvertently injured on their last patrol. It wasn't a huge injury... They were going to stop a deal between the Penguin and Double Face. Everything was going well, until one of the men managed to break free as they were about to leave the scene and fire a bullet with a weapon he had hidden.

It was just a bullet that was shot at her arm! Nothing extraordinary in itself!

**Ahahahah... If only that had been the case.**

Then... Well it's true she had to be admitted to the hospital in an emergency.

And eventually the damsel had also lost consciousness because the pull had caused her to lose her balance and dropped from a rather large height.

There was a great possibility that she also had a head injury to add to the list of her injuries... Fortunately it was an average trauma.

Perhaps the whole family had also arrived at the hospital thinking she were going to die. Dick had returned from New York almost flying as soon as Alfred called him. Tim gave up a very important meeting at WE with a big client... Thin, even Jason who still could not see their father Bruce in painting had landed like a fury in the hospital. Ah... family friends too had come like the Kents. As well as much of the Justice League in civilian clothes because she was loved by many people... She also suspected her mother Talia of having gone to see her, but it was not certain.

Marinette sighed.

Even she realized that her situation was not really ideal. When she woke up and saw all these people at her bedside, the little girl realized how lucky she had been… But especially how much her family had panicked for her fault.

Her father had decided to conciliate her at home. And there was a good chance that even after recovering all her physical abilities her father was reluctant to let her back on the field. And Damian... Oh heaven... He had been unbearably sticky -worse than Dick and even she didn't know it was possible - for the duration of her hospitalization. After all, may matter people's opinion about her brother, it was true he was unbearable and capricious 80% of the time, with her he had always been very -too-protective. She was an ex-assassin too, for God's sake! Marinette was sure that her little brother would not let her approach the Bat-Cave until at least her 30th birthday...

LadyBird would be out of service for quite some time yet...

A new sigh eluded her.

Taking her pain in patience, the little brunette used her graphic tablet to draw a new dress. Her father was about to organize a party to celebrate Damian's and her’s 13th birthday -it was in 6 months, but it was never too early to start a creation. It will also be the first time that she will be able to participate in this kind of social event with her brother-.

**Brrr... Brrrr... Brrr...**

The lady shifted her attention to her phone, she had just missed a call. Marinette then realized that she had not yet called anyone - yes, she had to call everyone at least once a day, or at least send a message to say she was fine-.

She looked at the time: 10:30 p.m.

_Oh... Already?_

15 missed calls from "Papa"

23 missed calls from "Dami"

2 missed calls from "Tim-Tim"

5 missed calls from "Dicki"

1 missed call from "Cass"

3 missed calls from "Jon <3"

Ra's Al Ghul's granddaughter widened and flickered her eyes several times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

**243 messages.**

Marinette facepalmed and let out a grunt of frustration.

-XxxX-

Two hours.

It took her TWO HOURS to call everyone and tell them that yes, for God's sake, she was alive!

— Jay... I'm sick of it! I have to call everyone every day... EVERY DAY! Who does that in real life?!

Marinette heard her eldest's almost hysterical laughter on the other end of the phone.

— It's not funny Jay-Jay... Besides, I'm bored to die on my own...

— I suspect so, sis, but for once I can't say I don't understand their attitude. You don't realize the scare you gave us that day, Nette.

— I'm sorry, Jay, I assure you it wasn't voluntary. I-I should have been more careful and...

— I'm cutting you straight miss, it wasn't your fault, okay? What's done is done. I'm just glad my favorite sis is still alive.

— Thank you, Jay...

—So, other than that, how was your day?

Marinette then told him about her day. Notably her misadventure in the kitchen where she had accidentally burned the macaroons, she had tried to make...

Not to mention the filth of Alfred the cat who had decided to destroy the curtains of her room and pee in her slippers... The brunette really didn't know what that damn cat had against her!

Titus had refused to get off her bed, result the night before Marinette had slept on the floor...

She had slipped on a Bat-cow poop in the Bat-Cave, resulting in a terrible hematoma in her leg.

And as usual, her brother was an unwavering supporter in difficult times.

"Ahahahahaha! OMG! My gut hurt! AHAHAHAHAHA"

The young Wayne smiled, glad that her misadventures could at least make someone laugh. If that someone was Jason Todd, then it was the icing on the cake.

After several minutes, Jason finally managed to calm down.

— Sharp, you should write a book about your life... It would soon become a bestseller, believe me.

—You're talking. What are we going to call it? "Marinette's Thousand and One Disasters"?

—I'll be more leaned on something like "The hard life of Marinette Al Gul-Wayne" or "Marinette's clumsiness" not even better! "The Mari-tastrophe"!

—Ahahahaha... Very funny Jay... 

After a good hour of conversation, Marinette hung up and went to bed. However, Jason's idea remained ingrained in her thoughts also the next day she began to reflect on the matter.

The teenager didn't see herself writing a book about her life but... Maybe she could try social media? Steph and Jon often told her about their twitter account. But could we really tell a complete story on Twitter with limited characters? Maybe Facebook... But her father had been very clear: she and Damian were not to be exhibited in public before their official presentation.

— What if I created a blog?

It wasn't too hard to do for someone who used to hack a little bit of everything and anything for her vigilant "job". In addition, she would not have to show her face... It would be fun.

She texted everyone first to make sure she wouldn't be disturbed by the day and then set to work. By the end of the morning everything was ready.

Well, except for a huge detail.

What name should the blog be called?

What had been Jason's suggestions again?

"Mari-tastrophe?": Not discreet for a penny.

It was not necessary that we could associate it with this blog so putting her first name in the title was not an option ... Or so... A brilliant idea crossed her mind.

Marinette tapped frantically on her keyboard.

A smile stretched across her face.

**It was perfect.**

Now just do the staging!

-XxxX-

"So... Let's see... “

\- Borrow a camera from Tim's room: Check.

\- Prick the mini-microphones with clip from Dick's old room: Check.

\- Owning Dad Bat's camera: Check

\- Create a mask to give yourself a mysterious look: Check.

\- Lock Alfred the cat so he doesn't come to annoy her all day: **CHECK**!

All the elements were in place, so let's act!

Marinette put on her carnival mask to keep her identity a secret. She had put all her heart into making something unique that didn't look like her LadyBird mask!

This mask was made of white fabric with hand embroidered gold details. The mask showed off her blue eyes, but hid her eyebrow arch and part of her nose. For the occasion rather than wearing her usual pigtail, Marinette made a braid on the right side of her head. She then put on a burgundy lipstick and put on black varnish. The brunette dressed in a flowing white dress of her creation. A black belt with gilding to emphasize her thin waist.

It had to be both simple and elegant.

After a few tries with the microphone, the young lady decided to film herself.

— Hello, hello! Yes I know... You're probably wondering what this weird girl is doing with a carnival mask... Well it's simple: I thought it would be fun to share with people what it's like to live in the shoes of a member of the Wayne family! As for what I didn't understand, I'm Bruce Wayne's daughter. You can call me Netty! For starters... I'm going to show you a little bit about what my days look like right now. 

This is how Marinette had fun filming her day, her meal and some sequences around the Manor. It was not necessary to show too much either from the first publication - and especially because if her father found out she would be yelled-.

It took her an extra day to do some editing and correction and then she published the video on her brand-new blog.

" _ **The hard life of a Wayne**_ " was launched!

Thus, all week, Marinette had fun telling about some misadventures that happened to her during the day with a few photos and sometimes a very short video. She also showed some of her creations, some of her drawings...

To her biggest surprise, her little delirium brought her almost a million views in not even a week!

The brunette was surprised that her life could passionate so much people ...

**Maybe too passionate...**

It all started with Alfred who put the morning paper in her hands.

"Could _Mademoiselle_ give me an explanation for this?"

There was an article about her blog on the first page.

**Oh...**

Then it was Jon's turn to call her super excited.

— Your blog is super cool! My friends here keep talking about it! Mum even said that her boss wanted an interview with Netty Wayne... 

**Ah?**

Then Dick...

— Oh My God I can't believe you're done this! It's super cute, Mari! I've got a lot of colleagues asking me for your autograph for their child! 

**Ah?**

Then Steph...

— Oh my God! Why I never thought about it before! 

**Ok?**

Then Babs...

— If you need help don't hesitate!

**Thank you?**

It was at the end of the week, when Tim returned from his trip to Europe, that she realized a little late that she might have had to ask her father for permission before publishing her life on this blog...

Especially when the voice of a presumably angry Timothy reasoned throughout the mansion...

— MARINETTE AL GHUL-WAYNE COME HERE **RIGHT NOW!**

**_Oops?_ **


	2. Alfred, the hellcat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the Wayne family there are Bruce (the father), Dick (the eldest son), Jason (the second son), Cassandra (the eldest daughter), Tim (the third son), Marinette and Damian the youngest. There is also the butler Alfred Pennyworth, the wise man of the household, also playing the role of grandfather. Then there are the animals: Goliath the giant bat, Bat-cow the cow, Titus the dog, Bridgette the rabbit (belonging to Marinette) and finally ... Alfred the cat. The family member everyone loves to hate - except Damian-.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need a beta reader ... I don't speak fluent English, I only have a few basics. Because of this, translations are done through online translator sites, but I realize that this is not ideal. So, if someone can help me correct spelling and syntax mistakes, that would be the best ^^

Marinette was half lying on the couch in the Manor library, using her older brother Tim as a pillow. He was quietly working on a case with his computer and no way disturbed by the presence of his little sister.

Since Marinette had opened her blog, Wayne Company had received several contract proposals, with investors finding the idea of a Wayne with hidden identity interesting for business. Tim then apologized for the nearly 2-hour sermon he gave his sister about the dangers of exposing her life on the internet. That said, she didn't get away with it without leaving a few feathers because she wasn't allowed to post video without Timmy's approval before.

Not from her father no, from Tim ... Go figure ...

Speaking of her father, he finds the idea of the blog surprising. Contrary to what the young lady had anticipated her father saw no disadvantage in keeping it... And obviously she wasn't the only one to be surprised when she saw the astonished gaze of both her twin and Timbo - she hadn't missed Alfred's little grin, he must have done something to make her father accept so easily-.

According to Jason, their father's becoming senile with age.

Marinette was not so sure. Maybe it was a way for her father to get in her good graces. After all, unlike Damian who venerate their father, she didn't like him. Well... now she liked her father but that hadn’t always been the case.

The reason?

He had rejected their mother on the pretext that she was a bad person. On the other hand, monsieur had a romance with a thief who had betrayed him several times. The logic escaped her. Well... it must have seemed that opening your legs to a vigilante opened... many doors - including the door to impunity -

**Anyway.**

— Mari, are you listening to me?

—Hm? Sorry, Timmy, my mind was elsewhere, you were saying?

— It seems that the Council of spiders is being reformed ...

Marinette squinted her eyes for a moment. That was bad news. As she was about to respond, she felt a violent pain in her foot.

— Aïe! But what the... Alfred!

Damian's cat had bitten her on the foot.

— Are you okay, Mari?

Marinette rubbed her foot quite annoyed. The incident could have ended there... If that damn cat hadn't decided to bother Tim too! The feline suddenly jumped on her brother's face. As he tried to remove it, his computer slipped from his knees crashing to the ground. The brunette tried to help him and abduct Alfred, but the animal appeared to be possessed and jumped on her to scratch her face. Eventually, Timothy manages to get him out by giving him a good cushion on the snout.

Act certainly rather violent but that had the merit of making the abominable feline leave.

Marinette and Tim now had scratches on their faces. The two looked at each other for a moment in total silence, and then began to laugh.

— I still wonder what Alfred has against us... We never did anything to him!

— It's Damian's cat.

—Dami is not so... persistent.

— Hum-Hum... If you say so.

Her eldest merely shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

The two went back to work.

-XxxX-

It was the Weekend.

Dick was at the mansion, wanting to spend some time with his siblings. It had been decided that they would watch a movie before the two elders had to go on patrol. While Dick was choosing the movie, Tim and Marinette were installing the blankets and pillows. Alfred the butler was in charge of making popcorn.

Everything was fine until a scream rang out.

— DAMN IT! ALFRED NO! 

The other two Wayne in the Home Cinema rushed into the next room to see what had just happened.

Dick was apparently sitting on the floor - he must have fallen - with the whole collection of DVDs and cassettes of the family on the floor. Apparently, an entire piece of furniture had fallen down.

Alfred the cat proudly licked his paw perched on another shelf.

Marinette as an exemplary little sister immediately took out her phone to take pictures. While Tim went to help the oldest of Wayne's children get up.

A smile formed on her face.

That devil cat was going to be useful for once.

Later that evening, while her brothers were on patrol, she sent Jason a picture of the incident. The latter replied with several smiley who laughed.

-XxxX-

— Hello everyone, this is Netty Wayne! Today I'm going to tell you about someone who's been rotting my life for a long time... Someone I can't get rid of without hurting a member of my family. I want to talk about Alfred the cat aka the _hellcat_ as he is affectionately called in the family... 

Several pictures of Alfred the cat were displayed. Each one cutter than the other -stealing from Damian's phone-.

— I know what you're saying to yourself, how I can hate such a _lovely_ animal... The answer in video!

The famous musical sound of the circus began to ring out.

**Alfred the cat and Netty:**

— Damn it! my curtains!

Marinette couldn't believe it; her curtains were in tatters even though she had just changed them!

The brunette then heard a noise behind her. Turning around, the young lady discovered the culprit: a beautiful black and white cat was licking himself on her bed with pink blankets.

Marinette approached the stupid cat.

— Alfred! Bad boy! Look what you've done to my curtains! Wait a second, oh my God! Did you seriously pee on my bed?!

For any answer the cat jumped in her face, all claws out and a "MEOWWWW" that came from the heart.

— No stop! AHHHHH! ALFRED STOP! HELP!

On his way home at night, watching his youngest daughter' condition, Bruce punishes Damian so that he can better watch his cat. The teenager complained for several days - according to him Marinette only had to take better care of her stuff-.

Another time, Alfred had fun putting absolutely all the stuff in Marinette's closet on the floor and then lying on it.

Alfred the cat was banished from the rooms and all doors were now locked. Once again, the cat escaped unscathed and Damian did nothing to calm him down.

Another day, Marinette went back to her room to retrieve clothes but froze when she heard a sort of scratching behind the door. The brunette then opened it slow. She then saw Alfred the cat who had opened a drawer of his dresser for attention... Pee in it!

Then suddenly the cat seems to realize that it had been spotted. His reaction? He closed the drawer as if nothing was wrong with his back leg while fixing Marinette right in the eyes. Then as if nothing had happened began to meow and rubbed against the dresser.

The little Wayne turned red.

— ALFRED!

This time, Marinette was blamed for not closing her window... -Well Damian blamed Marinette and Bruce did not contradict him. The brunette did not speak to them all week after that. -

Marinette was very happy; her father Bruce had just offered her a beautiful aquarium with exotic fishes! They were all gorgeous with beautiful color. Patriarch Wayne smiled softly at the enthusiasm of his youngest. Excited, she hurried to take pictures and a video to post them on her blog. She loved this aquarium and took the utmost care of it.

Sometime later, as she was about to show her aquarium to Jon, who was coming to visit them, before freezing in horror.

Alfred the cat, still wet, was licking his paws and her aquarium was completely empty.

The cat runs away from the room as soon as he sees them.

The girl walked slowly to her aquarium. There were no more fishes. Jon approached her worried.

— Mari are you alright? I'm sorry about your fishes...

— ...

—Marinette?

For any answer **the brunette began to cry**.

Not really knowing what to do and completely panicked - in his defense that was **the first time** he saw _her crying_... - he went to get help.

Just five minutes later, Dick, Tim and Damian landed in the room.

**Panic spread.**

**Marinette had never cried before.**

When Jon explained to them what had happened... Timothy saw red and started yelling at Damian asking him why he hadn't already gotten rid of that damn cat!

Damian -for once - had really felt responsible for this disaster.

Especially seeing his sister _in tears_ in front of the empty aquarium... -If Dick had not been present that day to calm all the heated spirits, their brother Tim would have thrown Alfred the cat out the window or probably worse knowing him-. Then, with Richard's help, Damian had managed to find a beautiful white fluffy ram angora rabbit with blue eyes that he offered Marinette as compensation. It was a rather rare and precious animal. Of course, this would not replace her precious fishes... However, the young lady forgave him for his cat's fault. The rabbit was named Bridgette and had an entire room as a house - Bruce immediately gave permission after learning what had happened, Damian was once again punished for his cat's nonsense, but this time he did not complain-.

Then followed a series of photos of everything that Alfred the cat had already destroyed in her room, all the belongings destroyed, the marks of scratches on the arms... Homework shredded to pieces.

— And I am not his only victim...

**Alfred the Cat and Tim Drake:**

Timothy is the third child of the siblings in terms of adoption, but the fourth in terms of age (just after Cassandra). Quiet, thoughtful and mature person, he is the brother of whom Marinette was closest -after Jason but... he was supposed to be dead and no one must know that he's in fact alive -. The two spent a lot of time together, so much so that Marinette obeyed Tim much more than her own father (LadyBird was Red Robin's protege and not Batman's, who had Robin). 

Tim was sleeping on a couch after a long night on patrol - well, this information his internet users would never know - when suddenly a furtive shadow comes to light. A black and white cat climbs on the couch. He approaches his victim's face as if to check that the victim is asleep. Then the feline climbs on Tim's back before... relieving himself.

— ALFRED, NO!

Surprised by the cry, the young CEO of the family wakes up. The cat runs away, but the damage is done.

— What the hell... Shit!

— I couldn't have said it better ...

— ... 

Damian laughed at Tim for a long time because of this story. Marinette offered a new high to her elder as a pardon. The latter thanked her, even though he knew that it was not up to her to repair the nonsense of Damian's cat...

Another day, Tim was late for an appointment - he had fallen asleep again late because of an extended patrol- when he opened his closet, Alfred the cat popped up and used his head as a trampoline. Annoyed, but having no time to take care of the feline, he turned his attention to his closet to realize that there were cat paws on absolutely all his shirts.

— Damn it!

Marinette went to pick up Alfred the butler urgently. He gave Tim a shirt that had belonged to Dick when he was a teenager. He had to put up with his little sister's laughter as he prepared for his "teen" measurements...

Once again, the cat gets away with it, and so does the master of the little monster.

Even if this time Marinette argues with her father to defend her older brother.

However, Tim wasn't nearly as nice as Dick or even Marinette. He made traps for the cat. The feline could _never_ enter his room again.

Then followed several other videos and other photos showing all the adventures of the cat. One of which was a memorable one where Bruce had his morning coffee and while he was drinking, Alfred the cat jumped on his head, making him splash with his coffee. Internet users were able to discover that yes… Bruce Wayne also knew how to insults…

— Yes, I know, after seeing all this, the question that everyone can ask is why then do we keep such an unruly cat at home... There is indeed a reason that stands in a first name: **my twin brother**... 

Several short scenes showed the cat purring on his brother's lap as he read a book. Damian's head was censored when the video was edited. Other videos showed Damian and the cat playing together.

Alfred the cat licking his face.

Alfred the cat who rolls around on the floor and acts all handsome.

Alfred the cat who learns tricks.

Then other adorable pictures of Damian sleeping with Alfred the cat on his torso. Damian who smiles as he caresss the back of the feline's ears... Damian carrying it on his shoulders... His twin scratching the cat's belly.

Netty put the camera back on her and crossed her arms.

— My brother is a very introverted person, who doesn't always know how to talk to the people around him, but I can assure you that he really _**loves** _this cat... D. is the kind of person that's hard to figure out, a lot of people say bad things about him because of his attitude. And I admit that he can be a damn brat ahahahaha!

Then, Netty smiled softly at the camera and leaned her head slightly to the side.

— However, D. is the kind of person who would give his life to protect the people he loves. He has a hyena character, but I love him very, very much! I wouldn't change him for anything in the world! So yes, _I hate this cat_ , but this little monster makes my brother happy and just for that I'm very happy that he exists and is part of the family. 

Finally, she raised her hand and said goodbye to the camera.

— That's it for today! Happy week everyone and take care of yourself, Netty Out! 

-XxxX-

After this video, several small extracts became memes on the internet. Especially the part where Bruce splashed himself with his coffee. Marinette did not realize that her father had made a very strange kind of grimace which was, it must be admitted, hilarious. - The said image had now become the home screen of Jason's cell phone-.

No one in the family was spared... Everyone now had their memes.

The Bat-family was now being regularly teased by the community of heroes -especially Batman, who was being teased the most-. They were all fighting against the most dangerous criminals in the world and being neutralized by a small kitty.

The phrase "What the hell... Shit!” was the most retweeted in the hours following the publication of the video on his blog followed by the hashtag “#Tsudere D.”.

Some people even had fun making an audio mix with all the times the name "Alfred" was pronounced in the video.

With such success, Jon managed to convince Damian to open an **Instagram account** for _Alfred-Cat_. The success was immediate.

**Alfred, the hellcat was now a celebrity.**

* * *

**Bonus: **

_A few hours after the video was released._

It had been a few hours since Marinette had posted her video. She didn't even think about it anymore and was quietly working on a case at the Bat-cave. The brunette heard footsteps behind her, but decided not to pay attention to it, after all it was soon time to go on patrol.

Suddenly, two arms surrounded her. Marinette froze recognizing the smell of her twin.

— Uh... Dami, are you okay? How long have you been home? 

The young Robin did not answer his sister and contented himself with hugging her a little harder. Disturbed, Marinette decided it was wiser not to move. Then, as if nothing had happened, Robin walked away to the Manor.

Marinette watched her brother walk away absolutely perplexed. It wasn't like Damian to cuddle.

— I think he enjoyed your little speech... 

The teenager shifted her attention to the source of the voice.

It was Red Robin.

— What speech?

— At the end of your video.

— Oh, _that_... You think so?

Her eldest approached her and gently ruffled her hair, smiling softly.

— Certain.

Marinette smiled back at him and then returned her attention to her screen, satisfied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a kind of big delirium about what would happen if Marinette was a blogger and Bruce Wayne's daughter... That doesn't mean that there wasn't a story behind it. For lazy reasons, I'm not going to write the "script", but here are the main lines of the story to understand a little bit the relationship of Marinette with the other protagonists.  
> ♥About Marinette’s education and her skills:  
> \- Marinette's teacher was Lady Shiva. She is therefore a formidable fighter and can also read body language, but not as well as Cass. Mari also has a physical condition superior to that of an ordinary human. She has therefore mastered several fighting styles.  
> \- Just like Damian she learned to kill at a very young age, but just like Cass she hated it. However, to survive she did what it took for Lady Shiva to recognize her value. That's the interesting thing about Marinette: she doesn't consider Talia as her mother.  
> -Talia taught her that a woman had to use all means at her disposal to achieve her ends. Also, Marinette has learned to manipulate people and never completely show who she really is. Paradoxically it is a part of herself that she hates and as a result will immediately hate someone who behaves like this... [*cof* Lila Rossi *cof*]  
> She will always be discreet, will tend to do what others expect of her. Like a doll. [That's what she does in miraculous as well when you think about it: she plays the role that is expected of her, so much so that she finally cracks at the end of season 3.]  
> \- Marinette is an expert in Tessen-jutsu, which is the art of the "war fan". She may look really cute with her two little fans in her hand, but I can guarantee you that she can easily defeat an entire army with it... Marinette has a significant collection of fans. Her second weapon is the kusarigama. It's basically a sickle with a very long chain. It is not really the most popular weapon of the "ninjas". However, mastering it well is a formidable weapon that can be used for both attack and defense. [In other words, Ladybug's yo-yo in Mari's hands will do a lot of damage]. She can use just about any ninja weapon even if it's not her area of expertise. As Ladybird, she uses both The Tessen-jutsu and the Kusarigama, but also the usual Batman outfit.  
> \- Another point, Marinette sometimes has... Crises. The little Marinette unfortunately had the right to a small bath in the well of Lazarus, and unfortunately there were side effects. This means that in a stress situation she can have some kind of crisis of rage. Her blue eyes become luminescent. As much as she does not like to kill or fight, as much ... If someone she loves is hurt in front of her, the little lady can easily act irrationally and become... A cold, bloodthirsty monster. So far it has happened only twice: When Damian died, she not only eliminated the Heretic, but also... killed her own mother -Bruce expelled her from the family for a while and in the end, Talia was resured-. Her second tantrum occurred when her grandfather tried to kill Timmy... At that point, Marinette fought almost evenly with Ra's -their fight was interrupted-. This makes the latter recognize the value of his granddaughter (which between us is not necessarily a good thing ...).  
> ♥About her weaknesses: the mastery of foreign languages. Mastery of foreign languages. This is definitely not her strong point (this being the case, she is fluent in Arabic, English and French. She has notions of Kryptonian and Italian, but overall she is the least polyglot in the Wayne family). She lacks self-confidence. Marinette also tends to do everything she can to please the people around her and ends up neglecting herself in the process... She easily loses her means when a situation escapes her. In short, she is Marinette Dupain-Cheng with ninja abilities, a dark past, and less foolish.


	3. Dance with the Wayne !

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette absolutely wants to spend more time with her siblings. ALL her siblings. So ... if organizing a dance battle is the only way to get there, what can she do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two videos were my inspiration for this chapter:
> 
> Ylvis - The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)
> 
> Handsome Dancer-Coincidence
> 
> I strongly advise you to look at them to understand a little of the delirium around this chapter.

It was almost breakfast time. Marinette was extremely nervous. She had something to ask her father that would be absolutely not simple ... The brunette had spent most of the evening repeating her text to be sure not to stammer in front of her father.

She had to be sure of herself! 

**Easier said than done…**

It all started with this video she saw on the internet of a girl doing a vlog on her afternoon shopping with her sister. This girl was really lucky to be able to spend so much time with her sibling. Specially to do a _normal activity_ …

Marinette decided to spend a day with her siblings too! 

The problem?

She absolutely dared not ask them! Especially since they didn't all get along ... So ask them to spend an _entire day_ with her just to make a video and post it on her blog ...

Worse! 

Jason still had to be resurrected! Administratively speaking of course. And she had no idea _how_ to do it. So, she had to ask Bruce.

**She had just underestimated her shyness ...**

First attempt with Dick (he was visiting the manor):   


Marinette was armed with courage and went to knock on her brother's door. The latter opened it immediately. When he was in front of her, the brunette lost all means.

— Is everything all right, Mari? 

— Uh ... I ... PICKLE! 

— What?! 

— I can't open ... the jar ... "

Her cheeks became crimson.

— Uh ... _Okay_ ...? Do you want help?

A nod was the only answer he got.

Marinette ate her pickles crying tears of _bleach_ in her room. **She never left the day.**

Second attempt with Jason (he was in Gotham):

— Hey LadyBird, B. have finally let you out of the nest?

—Yes, as you can see. 

LadyBird followed Red Hood for much of the evening. The little vigilante even helped him stop a Penguin merchandise transaction! 

It was almost time to come-back home… So, she mustered up her courage to ask.

— Mmm... Hood ?

Her brother turned his head towards her.

— You hm ... please ... hang out ... 

She whispered the end of her sentence.

_Yes, Marinette asks him to spend time with people he doesn't like at all and wants to avoid at all costs just to satisfy one of your whims…_

— Sorry Mini-Bird, but I didn't understand anything, what did you say?

— Burger…

— Burger? 

— Eat… with me…

— Uh ... if you want. 

LadyBird returned home late - which caused her to have her father give a soap - and more frustrated than ever.

Third attempt with Damian:

Damian was in the garden practicing exercises with his katana. As he paused, a dish appeared in his field of vision.

— I made _Chebakia_... uh ... you want to taste it? 

The teenager looked at the dish and then looked at his sister. The latter smiles nervously. The boy chose not to comment and took a bite. Finally, he accepted the dish.

Marinette watched him train for a moment. He eventually turns to her, squinting.

— What do you want Marinette? 

— Uh what? W-W-What makes you think I want something? 

The boy frowned.

— In this case, dear _sister_ , instead of squandering your time in idleness, I can only strongly advise you to come and train. You seriously need it after your poor performance.

The brunette bit her lip annoyed but still followed her little brother's advice.

**If some trees were uprooted it was not her fault.**

Fourth attempt with Cass (her father asked her to come):

Cass was training in the basement. When Marinette approached, her older sister looked at her then smiled. The teenager smiles back.

A silence settled.

Cassandra looked at her.

Marinette looked at her.

When the brunette finally decided to open her mouth, Batman entered the Bat-Cave.

— Black Bat, LadyBird good timing, I need you on a case. 

The little vigilante dared not say anything after that. Her sister smiled sadly at her for the rest of the evening. Marinette had an excruciating desire _to disappear_.

Fifth attempt with Bruce and Tim:

Batman was working on his computer in the Bat-Cave. The teenager sometimes wondered if the older Wayne had a life outside of Batman. Beside him, Timothy was also focused on an affair with a pile of cups of coffee scattered all over the place. He needed to find another occupation too… urgently.

She looked at her father for a moment, wondering how to approach the subject " Jason " with him without leaving in an argument ... Or maybe it was better to talk about it first with Timmy? Batman would probably listen to Red Robin more than little LadyBird, right? 

No doubt she had started to mumble in her beard without realizing it because the sounds of keyboards stopped. The young vigilant looked up and saw that her father and brother were staring at her.

**Her cheeks burned.**

Too embarrassed, she decided that _a tactical retreat_ was probably the best thing to do. But as she turned around, the girl hit her foot against something and _sprawled out on the floor_.

— Mari, are you okay? 

She got up. Tim looked at her a little puzzled and her father was just ... Batman. As stoic as usual.

Marinette quickly fled from the Bat-Cave and took refuge under her blankets with her little rabbit Bridgette in her arms.

**This comedy had been going on for almost two weeks.**

But this morning… Everything was going to change! 

Or not…

She had barely managed to sleep through the night. Now the youngest Wayne was fidgeting nervously in her chair staring at the kitchen counter. 

— Miss Marinette? 

\- KYA!

The poor girl tipped back, falling from her chair.

Alfred looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

She got up slowly, laughing nervously, then cleared her throat.

— Yes Alfred? 

— Breakfast will soon be served; I would be grateful if you went to the dining room.

— Oh ... uh ... Yes ... The dining room ... of course Alfred, I'm going there right away. 

She began to walk towards the dining room mechanically, almost like a robot.

— Miss Marinette? 

Marinette stopped and turned her head towards the butler. Her movements were so unnatural that you could almost hear her cracked bones with the movement.

— Yes Alfred? 

— I wish you good luck, miss. 

Her only response was a shy little smile.

After her left, the butler shook his head before smiling amused.

\- XxxX -

— Marinette. 

— Huh? 

— The jar of jam.

— What? Oh ... uh ... Yes. 

Marinette gave the jar of jam to Damian. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and especially with a small smirk on his face -which actually looked more like a sneer-. Looking up, the girl could only see that she had already toasted herself. Timothy was drinking his coffee quietly, also with a slight smile on his face. Her father clearly pretended to read his newspaper.

It was always the same!

What could she do if asking for things made her nervous?! 

At the point where she was ... Might as well get started.

— Hm ... 

Three pairs of eyes stared at her immediately.

— Papa ... 

— Yes?

Her cheeks began to heat dangerously.

— What's going on, Marinette?

Her father's voice was soft and quiet. Obviously, he wanted to encourage her to continue.

— I was wondering if ... Actually no ... It's not really that ... Hm. Could you possibly, or not huh if someone just explains to me how we do it but… if it's not too disturbing of course… and er… 

**If someone would be kind enough to kill her, like immediately, right now.**

A silence settled.

_Come on Marinette, it becomes ridiculous!_

— H-How do we do to er… resuscitated someone? 

— I beg your pardon? 

— I mmmh ... want ... to resurrected Jason?

The three men in the room frowned. Her father spoke immediately.

— Jason is dead 

—No. 

Bruce looked at her puzzled.

— Marinette, what do you mean by "resurrecting Jason"?

— Well ... technically Jay is still considered dead and humm ... I need him alive for errr ... a trick ...

— Mmh. Can I know what is the "trick" in question? 

— An outing.

— What kind of outing? 

— I don't know yet ... It depends if the others agree too ... I just want to errr ... spend _a day with everyone_? And uh ... like some sort of outing between brother / sister ...? 

The end of his sentence sounded more like a whisper than anything else.

Tim looked at her completely dumbfounded.

— Is that what you want to ask everyone for the past two weeks? To _go out_? 

She nodded gently.

A silence settled.

Then finally ...

— I'll see if I can get free this weekend ... 

—TT… I imagine that I can sacrifice a few hours. 

— I'm going to make sure everything is in order for this weekend, it's just a matter of a phone call or two.

— Really? NIHIIIIIIII !

Marinette was so relieved and happy that she jumped on the spot all excited, not realizing for a moment how much amusement her behavior caused in the men in the room. 

\- XxxX -

**Friday, early afternoon.**

To Marinette's surprise, everyone agreed to come - yes, including Jason -.

Finally, in addition to the five officially adopted children of Bruce, others came to join them as well. Duke was obviously there, accompanied by a Stephanie who was not holding in place and an amused Barbara. Jon was also present. Certainly, it was not at all a member of the Bat-family originally, but Marinette considered him as a little brother, so he was there too.

And Roy also joined in at Jason's request, who then brought his daughter Liam back. Then Kon and Bart also disembarked.

And as Marinette saw things big ... She managed to book an entire amusement park just for them! 

Exaggerated? Perhaps. But no one seemed to hold it against her. 

Everything went smoothly. Even if very quickly the activities quickly became a matter of competition: who managed to hit the most target on a shooting range, who managed to score the highest score on a dance game, who did the most thrill ride without shouting ... 

The day quickly came to an end. The group headed to a hotel reserved for the occasion where Marinette would explain what was going to happen during the weekend.

— A _battle_? Are you serious Mari? It’s going to become a carnage _my little bird_ … 

— Don't worry _my little_ Duke, I have everything planned! 

Marinette took out several small pieces of paper from her bag as well as a box that contained numbers. 

— It's very simple, there will be two groups and three juries which will judge the performances. To make everything fair, the members of each group will be drawn. The three who will remain at the end will be the jury! The battle theme will also be drawn! The winning group will have the right to give a pledge to the losing group, which will have to execute it for an entire week ... 

— Hm, I can already see _my replacement_ walking around in a _pink tutu_ …

— _Littlewing_ don't start… 

— Yes, of course, Jason, and I can already see you dressed _as a bat_ , H24 for a _whole week_... 

The brunette smiles. At least her idea seemed to thrill her brothers, well ... Some of her brothers. 

— TT, it’s a completely stupid idea and a complete waste of time. 

— Are you sure, Dami? You could for example... I don't know, make Tim call you " _Master Damian_ " for _a week_...

— Mari, be nice, don't include me in your fantasies.

— ...

— Or... ask Dick to go for a walk dressed as _a unicorn_. It would be fun to watch him arrest people _like that_.

— Wait what?! Netty do you want to ruin my career?! 

— ...

— Or… make Jason _eat vegan_ all week… Or Duke used _heels_ you see? 

— WHAT?! 

— NO, I'M NOT!

— Tim with rabbit ears…

— You see, even Cass already has ideas! 

— What exactly is your problem with _me_?! 

— TT. Very well. 

Jon too was a little uncomfortable with this idea of pledge, but Marinette will also quickly succeed in convincing him.

The draw was done quickly. The two teams were quickly designated. On one side were Dick, Marinette, Cass, Roy and Bart. On the other side were Jason, Tim, Jon, Damian and Duke.

The jury was therefore made up of Barbara, Stephanie and Kon.

The theme of the battle was as follows: **a comic clip.**

Tim looked at his little sister, skeptical.

— Mari, a music clip takes a lot of time, in just a weekend you can never do anything suitable. 

— For once I agree with Drake. 

Marinette looked at them smiling.

— The presentation will be made only Sunday evening. And then we don't have to do something exceptional either. The main thing is that the clip is fun, the form does not really matter. 

Each team spent the next day preparing their show.

On Sunday evening, everyone met in Marinette's room to watch the clips. Barbara, Stephanie and Kon were entrusted with a slate. At the end of the viewings they had to write on their slate the name of the clip they had preferred.

The first group to pass was Jason's. The clip was titled "The Fox ". 

[ music: Ylvis - The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)]

The beginning of the clip started with Tim.

_Dog goes "woof"_

_Cat goes "meow"_

_Bird goes "tweet"_

_And mouse goes " squeek "_

_Cow goes "moo"_

_Frog goes "croak"_

_And the elephant goes "toot"_

_Ducks say "quack"_

_And fish go "blub"_

_And the seal goes "ow ow ow "_

Poor Timmy was already turning scarlet.

— I said these words were stupid ... 

Jason just smirked.

— Don't worry, replacement, it'll do it.

_But there's one sound_

_That no one knows_

_What does the fox say?_

Tim hid behind a pillow. You could see Damian, Jon and Duke disguising as an animal at the back.

_"Ring-ding-ding-ding- dingeringeding!_

_Gering-ding-ding-ding- dingeringeding!_

_Gering-ding-ding-ding- dingeringeding!"_

_What the fox say?_

Someone pressed pause and everyone in the room exploded with laughter.

— Seriously?! Ahahahaha! 

— Damian wrote the lyrics, right?! 

— WTF Tim?! 

— Nice voice … _big brother_

The more Timmy's strange cries advanced, the more the room laughed. Then it was Jason's turn to come on the scene.

_Big blue eyes_

_Pointy nose_

_Chasing mice_

_And digging holes_

_Tiny paws_

_Up the hill_

_Suddenly you're standing still_

The video was paused again.

— I have to say it, you have a nice voice _Jaybird_. 

— TT, stop putting this stupid video on pause so that we are done with this masquerade once and for all!

Damian had a stoic expression, but his red ears betrayed his embarrassment.

The rest of the video showed Jason and Tim dressed up as fox singing as a duo. 

_Your fur is red, So beautiful_

_Like an angel in disguise_

_But if you meet, A friendly horse_

_Will you communicate by_

_Mo-ooo- orse ?_

_Mo-ooo- orse ?_

_Mo-ooo- orse ?_

_How will you speak to that_

_Ho-ooo- orse ?_

_Ho-ooo- orse ?_

_Ho-ooo- orse ?_

**_What does the fox say?_ **

— Seriously guys ... what did you smoke to lay such a thing for us? 

— Still, this is a good question…

— Bart, Mari shut up! 

Again, the video was paused for the fifth time, so that everyone could calm down. It took a total of seven views before you could watch the full video because nobody was really watching, too busy laughing…

— Who would have thought that Jay and Tim knew how to sing as well…. Pfffff…. AHAHAHA! 

— Dick is right guys, you missed a singer career…

— OMG… AHAHAHAHA…. Jay, what did you get Tim to agree to do that?! AHAHAHAHA! 

— What does the fox say~

— Dami, Jon, _Kigurumi_ look great on you! I would give you some for Christmas! 

— Okay, if you approach me with one of these _monstrosities_ , I will burn your _entire_ fan collection.

— What?! NO! Bad Jon! 

Damian, for his part, was watching the scene in his corner. He will never admit that he found this ridiculous clip _fun to do_. **Never.**

Then it was the video of Dick and Marinette’s group.

[music : Handsome Dancer-Coincidance ] 

The beginning of the clip started with Bart walking ... strangely.

_The first man's name was Kiki_

_He wore such little pants_

_His brother was the champion_

_But Kiki loved to dance_

The video paused.

— Ok ... So, I don't know what shocks me the most, the cropped pants or the so-called dance ...

— Ahahaha … Bart… What is this dance?! PFFFF! 

— Guys ... It's just the first verse, at least wait for the chorus to pause. 

Then .. It was Dick's turn to come on the scene. For this part, Cassandra played the damsel in distress.

_The second man was Choo Choo_

_A master of romance_

_He loved the damsel in distress_

_But not as much as dance_

— PFFFFFFFFFFFF ... OMG! Ahahahaha!

— _DickHead_ … You found the role of your life! 

— Thank you, _Little wing_ , coming from you means the world to me.

— Kon ... You're laughing too hard! 

— It's not me, it's Tim!

Indeed, all heads turned to the corner of the room where Tim was installed. He was holding his stomach and laughing out loud. He wasn't the only one, Duke next door was _literally_ crying with laughter.

_And then one day it happened, they went off to the world_

_They went on to a journey, Idolized by the boys and girls_

_They learned so many lessons, In all the foreign lands_

_But no matter where they wound up, they never stopped the dance!_

We discovered after the verse that the one who sang from the start was Roy. Marinette finally appeared in disguise with a funny costume. She was glaring at Dick and Bart who were doing their funny dance.

_One day inside the station In Amsterdam perchance_

_The man were standing side by side_

_By the man with the crooked glance_

_Then turned to face each other_

_It was just happenstance_

_That these two men would meet that day_

_And do that faithful dance_

The video was paused, then Stephanie moved back a few minutes.

— Mari ... ahahaha ... What is this costume?! AHAHHAHAA. 

— I need a copy of this clip! 

_[Bart turns to Dick]_

_Wow, you can really dance_

_[Dick rotates worm Bart]_

_Wow, you can really dance_

_He went_

_[Zoom on the face]_

_He went_

_[Zoom on the face]_

_They said: we've both been dancing all this time_

**_What a coincidance!_ **

**BOOM !**

Barbara quickly paused the clip.

— What was that noise? 

— It's just Damian. 

Batman's son had just fallen from his chair. He had both hands on his mouth visibly to keep himself from laughing. The poor teenager had an extremely **red face**.

Only Jon was like… petrified on the spot with a half-horror, half-amused expression.

The clip continued.

At the end of the clip, Kon rolled on the ground, holding his stomach, Stephanie could easily compete with the Joker so much her laughter was hysterical, and Barbara was not far from suffocation…

Everyone in the room laughed loudly at the absurdity of the videos, even Damian could not repress a small grin.

Marinette still manages to recover. With a big smile she turned to the jury.

— So, who won?

The three members of the jury each took the slate in front of them to write the title of the video that had most marked them. 

Barbara: Coincidance 

Stephanie: ...

Kon: The fox 

Dick then looked at Stephanie intrigued.

— Uh, Steph don't you vote? 

Still half choking on laughter, the blonde replied as best she could.

— I-I am ... sorry ahahaha, b-but ... I can't ... ahahaha ... choose between the two! AHAHAHAHA! 

An argument began to arise.

Each group wanted to win.

Marinette had an idea when the voices were raised.

**Her famous cheshire smile made a comeback.**

\- XxxX -

Dressed in a long powder pink skirt and a long black top, Netty sat gracefully in front of her camera. Her hair was tied in a bun and a pretty little red bow came to dress it. This time she wore a cat mask on her face with a matching cat ears headband. She checked one last time that the videos she was going to post was indeed the one that was censored (Tim shouldn't be recognized - because he was still CEO-, Damian or Marinette can’t be recognized either in the video).

Then she started recording.

— Hello everyone! Here Netty Wayne! As you probably already know if you watch this video, I spent the whole weekend with my brothers and sisters. It was really fun! I've posted some pictures on the blog, but you'll find many more on my brothers' Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts, especially Richard's... The links will appear in the description. 

Netty pointed with her fingers at the location of the description.

— I am coming to you today because I have a very specific mission to offer you. With my brothers and my sister, we decided to have a little competition. The goal of the game was to make a comic dance video. Unfortunately, we couldn't manage to decide who between us won, that's why I'm turning to you! Which of these two videos is the funniest? The team with the least likes will receive a pledge ! On your mouse everyone and may the best win! Netty Out ! 

At the end of the week the clip "Coincidance" was named winner.

Marinette suspected that it was mainly because of the _shirtless boys_ but preferred to keep this reflection for her. 

For an entire week: 

\- Jason had to wear a different dress every day (Roy's pledge).

\- Tim had to wear a different headband every day - even at work - (pledge of Cass).

\- Jon had to wear a Batman mask all week which distorted his voice (Bart's pledge).

\- Duke had to wear a different wig every day (pledge of Marinette).

\- Damian could only speak using a puppet (Dick's pledge).

To be sure that they would respect their respective pledge, each was assigned a chaperone: 

\- Jason was watched by Roy.

\- Tim by Marinette.

\- Jon was watched by Kon.

\- Duke was watched by Stephanie.

\- Damian was watched by Alfred.

Both videos went viral, so much so that it was picked up by many foreign countries. Many people had fun parodying them.

The success of the videos also allowed Jason's reappearance to go completely unnoticed, to his delight. 

* * *

**Bonus 1:**

Jason's side:

It was shopping day. As usual, Jason went to the corner supermarket which had more than enough. Roy accompanied him closely, giggling. The young adult did his best to ignore him. He and everyone who looked at him strangely on the street.

After all, a tall, muscular, handsome man dressed in a _long, shiny evening dress_ was not uncommon…

Tim's side:

Tim was standing in front of the board. It was an important meeting that would decide the future of WE. Marinette in her role as Netty sat quietly to his right watching him attentively. She did not show any emotion.

As he spoke, he did his best to ignore the smiles and grimaces of his interlocutors.

Indeed, having a bee headband on the head, each of he's movements made _the antennas move in all directions_.

When the meeting was over, and everyone was finally able to leave. The only thing that could be heard in the hallway was the outbursts of laughter from his colleagues. 

Tim sighed; this week was going to be really long…

On Jon's side:

Laughter could be heard throughout the neighborhood.

Jon had never felt so humiliated in his life.

— Jonny, can you say it again please? 

— Clark… it's been at least the thirtieth time you've asked him to repeat this sentence…

— Oh, come on Lois, it's not every day that we have _Batman_ sitting at the table with us… ahahahahaha! 

— Kon … don't start too…

At the insistence of his father and Kon, poor Jon finally capitulated. For the hundredth time since the beginning of the morning he repeated the same sentence again:

— **I'm Batman.**

The problem was that the mask he was wearing had a voice modulator that gave him a very _high-pitched little voice_.

This time even his mother couldn't help but laugh.

And to say that he still had to go to school…

Duke's side:

It was the fourth time since the start of the day that Duke had smashed his face on the floor.

Each time, Stephanie had helped him to reveal himself ... _To make fun of him immediately after_.

What idea Marinette had of giving him a Rapunzel wig?! 

How the hell was he going to be able to participate in his American football training with such a mop? 

Damian's side:

Damian never thought that one day he would hate his father. The latter had been looking at him with a smile since the beginning of the morning. He had insisted on giving him his history lesson, when usually it was a teacher who did it.

— Can you read me page 29, Damian? 

The little brown man glared at his father. His father stared at him while patiently waiting for him to do so.

The poor teenager ends up executing with a grimace. He looked at his book, then started to move his puppet. It was _a little yellow duck_.

His father's smile grew.

**At the end of this week, Nightwing will disappear from the face of the earth! Damian's faith!**

** Bonus 2: **

Batman seriously began to regret having let his youngest daughter open this stupid blog.

He couldn't take any more of the songs from these two silly clips.

How was he going to perfect his “Bat-glare” during meetings with the JL if _everyone_ burst out _laughing_ when they saw him? 

* * *

** Author's notes: **

♥ The relationship between Marinette and Damian:

-Talia hid Marinette’s existence from Ra’s Al Gul **AND** Damian. He discovered that he had a twin sister - and an older brother named Jason - only at the time of his escape. Marinette had to flee because she was a girl. Talia made Damian leave too because she discovered that her father actually wanted to use Damian as a receptacle for his soul and maintain his immortality [much like Orochimaru with Sasuke if you see the reference].

Which means that Marinette and Damian **_did not get along at all at the start._** Marinette spent a lot of time with Talia but was raised by Lady Shiva while Damian spent a lot of time with his grandfather and he was the one who took care of Damian education.

\- The relationship between Talia and Marinette is complex, it is a mixture of love and hate. Damian, on the other hand, had a much stricter education and had a more distant relationship with both his mother and his grandfather. So, he learned to worship his father because of the accounts of his exploits. Marinette, on the other hand, saw her mother obsessing over her father and found it stupid and unhealthy, which is why she has a particular aversion to Bruce at the start - and for other things too, but we'll talk about that later-.

\- Their relationship will evolve over time. The two understanding that they were ultimately manipulated by their mother since birth. Marinette will learn to " read between the big lines " of Damian's behavior and will adjust her behavior to his. She will admire his confidence in him, the strength of her brother and this ability to always say and do what he wants when she tends to pass the desire of others before hers. Damian will realize that Marinette was much more skillful and dangerous than she would have let believe and will thus recognize her value. He admires her empathy and her ability to understand others. 

-They complement each other, respect each other and consider themselves as brother and sister but their relationship ends there. Marinette and Damian are not as close as their “twin” situation might suggest. That does not mean that they do not love each other, on the contrary, the two adore each other. They are just not stuck together all the time (like Mari is stuck to Tim ... Damian is going to keep resentments against his father when he learns that his sister was kicked out of the manor). 

\- **Marinette has a cockroach phobia because of Damian** … (He had fun putting it in her room)

♥The relationship between Jason and Marinette:

\- Marinette is grateful to Jason for having saved her from her grandfather's hands but not only. Having been with Talia often, Marinette was aware of Jason's existence. She read stories to him when he was in zombie mode. She has a deep respect for him.

\- Secondly, Jason picked her up after Bruce kicked her out for killing the Heretic and Talia. -Bruce will regret it bitterly later… -. In all, she will stay a full year with Jason, but will not go to the field. Marinette simply respects her brother's choices but prefers not to take part in them because for her Batman's moral code is just. Jason will appreciate her attitude (the fact that she doesn't make him think like she does). They will become very close. Even after accepting Bruce's apology - she will also apologize huh -, Mari will keep in touch with her big brother against her father's advice. Marinette will return to the Manor only at the time of Bruce's "death" (see the comics for more details). 

\- Jason will kill in cold blood that anyone will dare to harm his beloved little sister. The reverse is also true. Marinette can quickly go into a spin when it comes to Jason.

\- **Jason is the one who introduced Marinette to Jagged Stone music**! 

♥ The relationship between Tim and Marinette:

\- Marinette first had a cordial relationship with him. Unlike Damian who wanted at all costs to become Robin, the miss never had anything to do with this title. Also, she had absolutely nothing against him. Tim was the first with whom she forged a bond. He offered her a cute little hamster plush. That's why she even came to his aid when Damian tried to eliminate him because she found Damian’s attitude stupid. 

\- Their relationship really took a turn at the "death" of Bruce. Even if at that time, she hated her father, Mari will be revolted that Dick will take away Tim's title of Robin to give it to her brother Damian -when he could very well invent his own hero and that for Marinette "be Robin"means nothing-. 

-Marinette will follow Tim on his quest to find Bruce. At first, Tim shows distrust towards her and does not really trust her, not understanding her motivation to follow him while she does not like Bruce. Until she said to him **" We don't save people because we love them but because it's fair ".** He gives her a chance. 

After that, the two will develop a real brother / sister relationship. Their relationship becomes practically fused, they have total confidence in each other to the point where they do not need words to communicate, a simple look is enough. Their way of thinking is quite similar which helps them to get along on the ground. 

\- After Bruce's return, Marinette will decide to become a vigilante in her turn and will take the name of **_LadyBird_** but will ask to team up with Red Robin and not with her father. The latter will accept reluctantly.

\- Marinette is an unofficial member of the Teen Titans… Basically the friends of her big brother are also her friends. She gets along very well with Kon, who in turn sees her as a kind of little sister. He taught her to speak Kryptonian ... She trains from time to time with Cassy.

\- Tim loves Mari and considers her his sister. She is the closest person in the family to him. He won't hesitate for a second to destroy the life of anyone who hurts her... He is also extremely protective of her. And he won't hesitate to stand up to his mentor to defend her. If someone cares about life, it's best never to attack Mari in front of him...

-Marinette adores Tim and considers him her brother. She can cross the red line without problem when it comes to defending her eldest. Never try anything against Tim in front of Marinette if you don't want to die in excruciating pain. 

\- **Tim is responsible for Marinette's passion for fashion** … He once took her with him to a fashion show where he was invited. Mari was so amazed by what she saw that she later decided to become a fashion designer.

♥ The relationship between Dick and Marinette:

\- Marinette hated him at the start, because he invaded her living space (he was just nice, but at the time she didn't understand him). Marinette did not like his playboy side at all and called him " _DickHard_ " at the start (I wouldn't explain this joke…). Dick, on the other hand, was a bit unsettled with Mari, not used to being fucked for free like she did. 

\- To their current one, they adore each other but are not very close. Marinette respects Dick like her older brother, and he adores his little sister. However, Dick is closer to Damian than to Marinette.

\- Dick is a little jealous of the relationship between Mari and Tim because he wants the same thing with Damian… (Except that Dami is Dami and he is a little _Tsundere_ difficult to tame).

\- **He is responsible for Marinette's passion for video games**! One day to try to die a little bit with his little sister, he took her with him to an arcade room. Marinette loved the experience, after which she began to call him " Richard " (and later she would call him Dick like everyone else). Unwittingly, Dick created a little monster… (he is very proud of it). 

♥ On the relationship between Cass and Marinette:

It's very simple: they love each other and that from the start. 

The two understand and appreciate each other. They train regularly together.

**She was the one who nicknamed Marinette " Netty " for the first time.**


	4. Father and Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce would like to spend more time with his little girl. As for Marinette, she's not feeling very well. What if, for once, father and daughter finally get to spend some time together?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When there is this: "<...>" in the dialogue it means that the characters speak a language other than English.

Bruce Wayne was frustrated.

He was alone at the mansion with Alfred all weekend. The man was no longer used to the manor being so quiet and... _hopelessly empty_. At least when Damian and Marinette were there, there was animation. And then when his other children came, he was sure to have a good _headache_ all day because of their incessant bickering...

Who would have thought that anyone would want to get a headache on purpose?

**A few days later,**

**JL tower, Tuesday morning.**

_Dog goes "woof"_

_Cat goes "meow"_

_Bird goes "tweet"_

_And mouse goes "squeek"_

_Cow goes "moo"_

_Frog goes "croak_

_[...]_

Batman had a serious need to break the radio. It was his turn to watch the tower with... _Argh_... Green Lantern. And as always, the guy could do nothing in **silence.**

The Dark Knight of Gotham sincerely loved each of his children.

**But in recent days he had a furious desire _to strangle them._**

These videos were hellish!

Bruce honestly did not understand how amusing these videos were. He was even shocked to see how much his children had a mind to say the least... wacky -Tim and Jason dressed as foxes?! Damian dressing up as an animal? And Dick... What was these movements! -. However, he had been relieved of one thing: to see that Jason, failing to get along with him, had not completely driven his brothers and sisters out of his life. Seeing him even laugh and dressing up as a fox - which is something he will take _a long time_ to get used to- warmed his heart.

_Your fur is red, so beautiful_

_Like an angel in disguise_

_But if you meet a friendly horse_

_Will you communicate by_

_Mo-o-o-o-orse?_

_Mo-o-o-o-orse?_

_Mo-o-o-o-orse?_

_How will you speak to that_

_Ho-o-o-orse?_

_Ho-o-o-orse?_

_Ho-o-o-orse?_

_[...]_

The only thing that entertained him in the whole thing was seeing Damian having to talk with a puppet.

His son was the only one present at the mansion during this week, Marinette being at Tim's house all week for this pawn story.

Speaking of _these two_...

The patriarch of the Bat-family was still faced with conflicting feelings. He was genuinely happy to know that his children got along well, or at least enough to spend a weekend together without killing each other. Nevertheless, there was another feeling that the man had been trying to suppress for some time.

A feeling that only grew over time.

**Jealousy.**

As childish as it might seem, Bruce felt jealous of **Tim**. Not just him, **_Jason, too_**. The reason for this resentment - which he knew was perfectly unfair... - was a first name: _Marinette_.

His relationship with his youngest daughter was... _complicated_. The teenager had a problem with him from an early age. It was disturbing to have someone who seemed to hate you without you doing anything, especially if the person in question was your own child. As much with Jason, he knew what to expect. The boy had every reason in the world to resent him, he had failed to protect him. But Marinette was a mystery.

In a sense Marinette had been more difficult to manage than Damian, not that she was capricious, but on the contrary extremely calm, quiet and self-effacing. He even thought for a long time that she was mute. Damian spent his time annoying her and the little girl didn't react.

She also refused to train.

The few times she had confronted him, or Damian had ended in failure.

**Marinette didn't know how to fight...**

To make matters worse, she had spent the first two weeks at the mansion trying to run away, once she ended up with severe burns... Alfred spent three-quarters of his time playing hide-and-seek with his daughter because she refused to come to the table. And the little girl was _really good_ at _hiding_ , himself could take half a day to find her and yet he knew the mansion by heart. Even Dick had failed to get close to her, earning a nickname... at least insulting -that day he discovered that yes, the brunette could speak-.

— Hello, my name is Richard Grayson, but you can call me Dick. You're Marinette, right?

— ...

— Wouldn't you want to come out of your room? It must be boring to stay in this room all alone and locked up...

— ...

— _Or not_... All right. Could you come with us to the living room? We're trying to see what movie we could all watch together.

— ...

— <Do you know English, or do you only know the language of your mother Talia?>

— ...

—<Hmm... Don't you want to get out from under that bed? So, we could talk more easily?>

— Listen to me _DickHard,_ I don't care about your movie and I don't care about spending time with people I don't even know. You have a deplorable accent. I don't like you. I want you to leave me alone.

 _— DickHard?!_

— **Get out of my room.**

Then Tim had an idea. One day he arrived at the mansion with a stuffed toy that he gave her as a present. Marinette initially seemed completely lost in front of the object but accepted it anyway.

— Go take it, I took it for you.

— ...

— It's called a _teddy bear_. You can give it the name you want, play with it... Or you can just throw it away if you don't like it.

The stuffed animal became her favorite object.

The little girl took it everywhere with her to the mansion, including at the table to eat - he also surprised her telling stories to the stuffed animals...-. His third Robin became the only person with Alfred (who had the good idea to give her an assortment of tea cups) who managed to approach her after this gift. He tried to do the same, but it didn't work... Dick tried several tactics too but nothing worked, Marinette had a grudge against them.

Things got worse the day Damian had the good idea to take on Tim.

Marinette intervened between him and Tim. He still remembered the footage that the Bat-Cave's cameras had recorded.

— Damian, I don't want to fight you.

— I wouldn't want to fight against myself either. 

As the youngest was about to attack, something grabbed his ankle and sent him for a walk in the set. Marinette had a _Kusarigama_ in hand. It was with the chain of that weapon that the little girl sent Damian waltzing.

— Get out of there, this fight is not about you!

— I'm sorry, dear _little brother,_ but I can't let you shoot down the only member of this family who has the brain in _the right place_.

— TT. I don't allow you to call me your brother. You and I are not from the same family. 

Damian pulled out his katana. She addressed Tim without turning around, while hanging her Kusarigama on her belt and taking out two small fans from under her top.

— Call Batman or Nightwing.

— Okay, stop. Marinette, you-

— Listen Drake, without wishing to offend you, at _your current level_ you are not an _adversary to me_. I couldn't fight and defend you at the same time.

— Wait, _What?!_

— It's about time someone taught _**that** **jerk** _a lesson about **_humility_**. 

Without giving Tim time to retaliate, she charged.

When he rushed back to the basement after Tim's call, he was surprised.

Much of the cave had been destroyed and Damian was lying _unconscious_ on the floor. That night Bruce discovered that not only did Marinette know how to fight, but that she was actually **_more dangerous_** than Damian. For as amazing as it may seem, she had come out of the fight **_without a scratch_** , while Bruce was not fooled and knew that Damian was not someone to be underestimated.

However, he still had some positive elements of this confrontation.

First, Damian went to respect Marinette.

Then he realized that Marinette was not a murderer. She could easily have killed Damian several times that night but had not done so. Her goal was clearly to just teach him a lesson.

Finally, she had defended Tim, which showed that she cared about others.

**There was definitely hope for her.**

**Time passed.**

Their relationship stagnated.

Except for her and Damian. The brunette even began to call him "Dami". They were playing with Titus together. Exchanged drawings...

**Then Bruce disappeared for a while.**

By the time he returned, Marinette and Tim had become _inseparable_. Damian had become Robin and Dick had taken his place as Batman.

Time passed again, Dick became Nightwing again and Damian continued alongside him as Robin.

Marinette decided to become a vigilante too and took the name _**LadyBird**_.

She stayed distant from him, but _always_ stayed with Tim.

Marinette asked to stay with Red Robin as her partner. Even if he wished with all his heart to have his two youngest with him... He did not feel the heart to stand between his two children.

**Then came this incident.**

The beginning of a long series...

Bruce accused Jason of being behind a series of incidents. He later discovered that it was the work of the Heretic. But the damage was done. Bruce didn't know it - mostly because of his "death" - but Marinette and Jason were very close. Also, the brunette got in a fight with him because of this story.

**Then came Damian's death.**

Marinette in a fit of rage killed not only the Heretic, but also _her own mother,_ Talia. Despite the pain of the loss of his son Damian, he could not let go of what Marinette had done, even though she was his daughter. A violent argument broke out between them.

— They got what they deserved! The Heretic was going to kill you too! He was going to kill Dick... everyone! And Talia... If you knew what she did to Dami and me, you wouldn't react the same way!

— That's not the point. You crossed a line, Marinette.

— And I would cross it _again and again_ , whenever it is necessary if it means to protect my family and the people I love!

—As long as you live under _my_ roof, you will respect _my_ rules. Haven't you learned anything since you've been here? **Justice comes before revenge,** Marinette. If you eliminate your opponents, then you are no better than them.

— I didn't wait to get under your cozy little roof to get blood on my hands! Anyway, what's done is done, there's nothing more we can do... And Dami... **DAMI DIED BECAUSE OF YOU**! You're incapable of protecting people! You couldn't even protect Jason! You keep locking the Joker in Arkham knowing full well he's going to escape! You let a criminal like Catwoman go free just because she's been in your bed! You don't care what other people think, because _the great Batman is always right_! You spend your life _manipulating_ the people around you, so they'll buy into your ideas, and even when you're wrong, you make sure other people feel guilty! Do you know what you are? A HYPOCRIT! **And I hate you**!

— Miss Marinette!

— If that's really what you think Marinette. **I'm not holding you back**.

— Master Bruce... I'm not sure that...

— Let Pennyworth, **_the Great Batman has spoken_**.

— Marinette, if you leave now, you won't have to come back.

— _As you wish, sir._

Later (and not surprisingly), the rest of the family soon exploded when they heard the news about Marinette.

Even after his resurrection Damian distanced himself... He went to join Dick in Blüdhaven for a while.

**He and Tim had their first big talk.**

If for a while he was angry and hurt by what Marinette had told him, he _quickly regretted_ the events. Looking back, he realized how stupid the decision had been. Especially coming from a normally responsible adult and that he was looking at a 9-year-old girl.

He soon discovered that Marinette had taken refuge with Jason. If on the one hand the man felt relieved because she was not alone, on the other hand he was worried. Jason was for him the last person his daughter needed... However, a discussion with Alfred calmed him down. He could not reappear like a flower in his daughter's life, snatch her from the hands of a brother who doubtless loved her and force her back to the Manor.

So, he merely watched from afar. His relief was immense when she not only did not take part in Jason's activities as Red Hood, but that Jason was also very well looked after her. His second son had even enrolled Marinette in school... **She led a _normal life_**. Deep down, he was happy for her.

**If his little girl's happiness came through his disappearance from her life, then he would disappear.**

But one day, the mansion was attacked by members of the Shadow League. At the head of the commando was **Lady Shiva**. Ra's Al Ghul had decided to get his granddaughter back. So, he sent Lady Shiva to look for her. That day he learned more about his daughter.

And what he learned glated his blood.

**Marinette had an upbringing very similar to Cassandra's.**

Worse still, the little girl had already died **_several times_ **during the clearly inhuman training run and had already been plunged _**s** **everal times into the Lazarus’s pit**_. Seeing that she was not present, the woman left.

Unsurprisingly, Jason and Marinette were attacked a short time later.

On this occasion, Jason _almost died_ a second time to protect his little sister. Unfortunately, this was not enough, and **Marinette was taken away**.

The family gathered again, something that had not happened in a long time. It was together that they went to save Marinette. After this event, he apologized to his youngest child. This one was surprisingly receptive. He later realized that in reality it was right in her temperament to forgive easily.

The little girl had been living with him and Damian - and occasionally Tim - at the mansion for two years. They were leaving from afar, but he was happy to think that today he and his daughter were on good terms.

However...

He'd love to get close to Marinette. Spending as much time with her as he could spend with Damian. Only, between junior hight school, her friends -because yes, this child had _too many_ friends -, her outings with her brothers and now her blog, she had little time. Patrols could have brought them closer, _but she was Red Robin's partner_.

Bruce had to admit that these two when they worked together were an excellent duo, separating them would have no interest - and no doubt would be selfish of him-.

He sighed probably for the umpteenth time of the day.

Sometimes **it was really hard to be a father...**

**Brrr, Brrrr, Brrrr.**

He looked at his phone quickly. That was Marinette's school number.

He accepted the appeal.

— Bruce Wayne speaking.

— Good morning, Mr. Wayne, I'm sorry to bother you. I am calling you because Marinette did not show up today and I just wanted to ask you if that was normal since it is not her habit to be absent. 

Bruce's blood froze for a moment.

Several worst-case scenarios began to form in his mind.

What if Ra's had sent his killers against her again?

Maybe she was kidnapped on the way to school?

— Yes, she wasn't well this morning, so I told her to stay in bed. I apologize, but I completely forgot to call you to warn of her absence.

— Oh? I totally understand. I take note, thank you Mr. Wayne, I would not abuse your time. Good day to you and good recovery to Marinette. 

Batman immediately got up from his chair.

— Lantern, can you do the surveillance alone today?

— Uh? Why?

— Marinette didn't make it to class.

— So, what's the big deal? Maybe she's just skipping class... Teenagers do that a lot, myself when I was in high school I-

— That's **not** Marinette's style. 

He did not give his interlocutor time to respond and left.

Along the way, he took the opportunity to watch the surveillance cameras of the Manor.

_I hope nothing serious happened._

-XxxX-

There were days when Marinette didn't feel very fit. Days when her only desire was _to disappear_ from the face of the earth.

She was in her room, under her blanket.

The brunette **wanted to cry for no reason** , _to scream_ , _to tear her hair_ and _throw herself under a train_.

For about a year and a half, the teenager had been undergoing regular therapy sessions.

As a result, the young lady knew perfectly well what was happening to her. It was just a "phase" of _depression_. However, being aware of it did not make things easier to live with.

Marinette closed her eyes for a moment to give herself courage.

She absolutely had to call someone _before she made an idiocy_.

It reminded her of that famous night a year ago, when everyone unanimously decided that it was in her interest to put her in therapy.

**It all started after she ran away from the mansion.**

She hadn't done it in a long time, but this time it was different. She needed to be alone, isolated from everything and _just disappear_ **.** In her heart, there was this terrible feeling of sadness and loneliness. Marinette felt like **_she was just a monster_** , that _s **he didn't deserve to exist**_ because she had done too much harm to those around her. It was her fault that her family was divided, if not everyone could get along... If only ** _she has never existed_** , _maybe everyone would be happie_ r.

No.

Those feelings were stupid.

She was fine at the mansion.

Her family loved her.

The teenager went to middle school, she had good grades, friends.

A life that many people had to envy.

But... Why was her heart heavy then?

Why did she want to cry so much?

There was no reason to cry…

**She had no right to do so.**

It was by no means the first time that this kind of thought had crossed her mind. Only, usually she isolates herself a little or just stays locked in her room giving a lame excuse. Or to hide her state of mind she spent her day bothering someone.

The last time, she showed up unexpectedly at Dick's...

Except that... that night... Everything was stronger. More amplified.

**Just too much.**

**So, she'd left.**

It was raining ropes when she left. She couldn't tell how long it had been. In any case, the last person she thought she'd run into ended up being the one she needed: **Catwoman**.

She and the thief had a discussion for the first time without shouting and reproach.

Marinette had to reconsider her opinion of the woman. Selina also seemed to discover her in a new light.

Catwoman walked her back to the manor.

She then learned that her escapade had actually lasted **three whole weeks**.

**It was scary.**

**Because s _he didn't realize it._**

Everyone in the family was losing it...

Bruce had gone so far as to ask the Justice League for help.

Dick had contacted his Outsider friends.

Tim had appealed to the Teens Titans.

In fact, everyone was actively looking for her.

It was extremely impressive that she had managed to escape from so many heroes.

As such, her camouflage skills had not disappeared.

When Alfred saw her, the man hugged her, trembling slightly.

**She also didn't realize how she looked...**

Alfred immediately took her to the Bat-Cave to heal the multiple wounds she had (later it was learned that it was self-harm...).

Her family was relieved to find her.

The days that followed were complicated... But Selina had to talk to them because no one asked her for anything. Even when she was aggressive.

After a few days Marinette calmed down.

The constant feeling of sadness she felt was still there, but nothing she could not handle -nothing unusual in reality -.

**The hardest part was confronting everyone.**

A friend of Bruce's who was also a psychologist came to talk to her - until today Marinette didn't know her first name-.

Aware that she had been particularly naughty these last few days, she played along...

She didn't really have a diagnosis yet...

The only thing that was certain was that she had a _mood disorder_.

However, that meant both everything and nothing...

There were a significant number of "mood disorders" and unfortunately for her it was still too early to really give a definitive diagnosis. Some of the people she had met were leaning for a _borderline disorder._.. others for a _cyclothymic disorder_.

**Clearly, she had a problem.**

But the young lady promised her psychologist that she would never be alone during periods of depression.

The only problem at the moment was that no one was at the mansion.

Damian was somewhere with Superboy -it was the advantage of being home-schooled unlike her who went to Middle School-.

Dick was working.

Tim was working.

Jason had gone abroad.

Alfred exceptionally wasn't there all week and her father was somewhere in space.

**Everybody was busy.**

No one would blame her if she stayed asleep, right?

She could also go and hug Bridgette... her fur was all soft... plus Bridgette licked her face with her tiny tongue, it was cute.

That's what it was.

**You had to think positive.**

-XxxX-

Marinette awoke with the sound of the door squeaking. She rubbed her eyes for a moment. Bridgette, who was lying next to her, got up in a good way and went into hiding.

At the entrance to her rabbit's house stood her father. More specifically, **Batman.**

— Papa? I thought you were at the watchtower today...

— I was there. But your Middle School called.

— School? _Oh..._ What day is it?

— Tuesday.

— I'm sorry... I thought it was Saturday. I'm going to get dressed right now.

— No, you don't need to.

— Hmm... Am I grounded?

— No.

— All right. 

An awkward silence settled in. Even though their relationship remained quite cordial, there was still a great uneasiness between them. Bruce ran his hand through his hair trying to find his words. He was certainly not the person she was closest to.

However, maybe it was a chance to break the ice a little bit?

— Papa... Is that... Can you stay?

— Of course, I will. Do you want to... talk about it?

— No, I don't.

— Very well.

— But I'm hungry... I haven't eaten anything yet. Have you had lunch?

— Just had some coffee.

— Mmh... I'm going to make pancakes! You're um... Do you like pancakes?

— Yes.

They ate their pancakes together after Bruce changed, of course.

— So...

Marinette raised her head off his plate to look at her father.

— Is there anything you'd like to do today?

— You mean... You and me?

— Yes. I mean, if that suits you, of course. I can always call Tim if you prefer, or even Jason...

— No, I... Mmh... I like that idea.

— Oh, Well, good. All right.

Marinette thought maybe she got her nervousness from him.

This had the effect of making her smile a little.

Obviously, it also had a positive effect on her father, who in turn relaxed a little.

— Do you know how to play UNO?

— No. What is it?

A little smirk appeared on her face.

Bruce suddenly became nervous.

— This game is... _Interesting_.

— Isn't that right? We can start a world war with it! Especially using this...”

She put a "+4" card on the heap.

Unlucky for her, her father had resources.

He replied with the same card.

— WHAT?! Is this a joke?! Does Batman's power even work on UNO cards?! 

Bruce settled for a little grin.

Marinette began to wonder if Damian had not possessed their father...

Oh heaven... Maybe Marinette had just created a new monster!

On the other hand, the famous "power of Batman" had no effect in the kitchen...

— Papa... You just put _sugar_ in the sauce...

— OH? I... Hm... Sorry, Mari.

— Well, too bad we're going to improvise! Chop the vegetables instead, I'll take care of the sauce.

**Moments later.**

— Uh... Papa... You were supposed to _cut_ the vegetables, not _mash_ them...

— What do you mean? They're well cut there though.

— ... 

Marinette didn't know if she should laugh at her father's monstrous shortcomings in the kitchen or cry because their dish would look like nothing...

— Well, then, let's make some french fries!

— French fries? When there's mashed potatoes, sweet sauce and baked meat?

— Fries are life, Papa!

— I'm not sure Alfred would approve.

— Alfred is not here… And then I'm sure you'll like it; it was Jay who taught me how to make them.

— Mmh.

Indeed, by the end of their culinary exploration, they had together made just _... a mess._

However, it was very good.

Like how a sweet sauce could go well with French fries... The mashed vegetables and baked meat were not too bad. Especially when pasta was added! It's a good thing Alfred wasn't there to witness _the blasphemy_.

The afternoon was devoted to... **_Sewing._**

Yes, yes.

Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) learning the art of sewing with his 12-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

The funniest thing is, **he was gifted!**

He and Marinette made little dolls together with their respective costumes. That's how the Nightwing, Robin, Red Robin, Batman, Red Hood and LadyBird dolls were born!

The brunette took a lot of pictures, all proud of their work.

The dolls were now proudly enthroned on the dining table in their reception room.

It was by no means discreet, but they hadn't planned a visit anyway.

The day ended in front of the television where the two watched _Shrek_ with a huge bowl of popcorn bathed in butter.

They had to make the most of Alfred's absence!

Night fell, and with it announced the return of the Dark Knight.

— Papa, since Damian isn't here and Tim's gone with the Titans... Maybe we could um... patrolling together?

— YES! *cof,cof* I mean, yes, of course.

— Cool!

There were no incidents that night.

They just had to stop a robbery.

It was really weird to patrol with Batman and not Red Robin, but LadyBird could very clearly see the influence of the Dark Knight on her "mentor" Red Robin.

After that evening, much to Marinette's surprise, Bruce Wayne took the week to spend time with her. Completely excited by the idea, Marinette decided that it was necessary to plan this week to make it as unforgettable as possible! Her father agreed with this plan. Also, the next day it was he who chose the activities of the day.

So, they had a movie matinee, where Bruce showed her some of his favorite movies.

The afternoon was devoted to a more unexpected activity: horseback riding.

It was a first for the brunette who had never ridden a horse in her life. She almost fell off her horse several times. In the end she ended up taking a ride with her father on his stallion. After that, it was decided that she would take more riding lessons with her father later.

In the evening they went to the theatre together. It was also a first for Marinette. As a result, her father helped her choose a suitable outfit for the occasion. She still chooses to wear a mask "just in case". The teenager was amazed by the costumes. When they left the theatre, they were intercepted by none other than Victoria (Vicki) Vale.

— Good evening Bruce, and I presume this charming little lady is the famous "Netty" who has been making a name for herself recently.

—Good evening, Victoria. Yes, this is Netty Wayne, _my daughter_. 

The woman reached out to Marinette. She had to use all her acting skills to not just slap the woman in front of her. Because of this viper, her brother Tim had to pretend to wear crutches for a whole year*! Not to mention the many rags she had already written about her family members...

**Marinette hated her!**

— Good evening, Mrs. Vale.

She gave the woman her best smile, while getting closer to her father. The woman smiled back at her before turning to her father. Everything in her body language indicated that she wanted to get them in trouble.

— Do I have to conclude that Netty is her real name?

_Argh! I'm still here jerk, you could ask me straight out!_

Rather than say something that would seriously damage the Wayne name, Marinette played the game by putting her hand in front of her mouth and laughing softly. In heaven's goodness, what she hated to do that kind of thing...

— No, more like a nickname. If you will, we apologize we are expected. 

Bruce took Marinette's hand and the two quickly walked away.

Once away from the viper, the brunette turned to her father.

— How could you have a relationship with… **_this_**?

—She is a remarkable woman, with a lot of quality when... She is not looking for a scoop.

— Mmmh... Let me doubt that.

— Have you met her before?

— Yes. I don't like that woman. If it were up to me, she wouldn't be exercising anymore... But then... Tim said it would be bad for us if anything happened to her, so...

— Mmmh.

During the dinner, Marinette took the opportunity to tell her father about their misadventure with Vicki Vale.

— Tim had a brilliant idea.

— I agree!

The rest of the week went by without too much trouble, although every once in a while, there was always a paparazzi in the corner to come and bother them.

That week, a single photo was posted on Netty's blog: a photo taken by Alfred in the family garden where Marinette had her arms wrapped around Bruce's neck smiling at the camera, and The latter who was also looking at the camera with a slight smile.

Underneath the photo you could read a caption: "Great day with _Daddy_!"

When Damian came back from the mission.

He was extremely surprised to find Marinette taking a nap against their father.

And above all, to see him smiling while reading a book aloud.

**************************

*Comic Red Robin #15.

* * *

** Bonus: **

Marinette went to Jason's house. She needed to talk to someone who would understand her dismay. It was absolutely not in her habits to come without warning. She just hoped she wouldn't bother him too much.

— Mari? What are you doing here? Wait, don't tell me Bruce chased you away again? I'm going to ki-

— NO! Uh... Everything's fine Jay, it's just that I needed to talk to someone... of errr... something... And err... Am I bothering you? I can come over another day...

— No, you will never disturb me, Mari. Come in. 

She didn't ask for much.

Jason immediately prepared a cup of hot chocolate with marshmallow in it.

Marinette accepted the offer willingly.

— So... What did you want to talk about?

— Oh... Mmh... Actually... I had an... _episode_ not long ago...

— **Ah.**

— Yes... And then I went back to see the psychologist and we talked a lot.

— Mmmh.

— She started asking me about mmmh... The... pit... Well... The...

— The times you've died.

— Yes.

— Let me guess, you couldn't talk to her about it?

— No. 

She then looked at her cup, then drank it from a milking.

— Do you... do you ever think about it?

— Almost every day...

— Me too. And I don't like it. I'd just like to... _Forget._

— Unfortunately, sis, I don't think that's possible.

— Yeah, I guess so.

Jason then came to sit next to her, then passed an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer to him.

A soothing silence settled between them.

— That's not why you came... isn't it, Mari?

— No.

— You want me to come with you to the next session.

A nod was the only answer he got.

He looked straight ahead for a moment. Then after a while he sighed.

— That's okay.

— Really?!

— Yes. Zombie to zombie, we support each other...... 

Marinette began to laugh. Then she put a kiss on her brother's cheek.

— Thank you, Jay.

— Anytime… 

After this session, Jason also began seeing the psychologist with the unpronounceable first name.

** Bonus 2: **

It was a rather unusual family dinner. In fact, Jason had agreed to come for the first time in a long time. Marinette was very happy that things between her beloved older brother and the other members of her family were finally starting to work out.

The atmosphere was a bit strange; it was new for everyone. So, Marinette, in her great kindness decided to break the ice a little.

— I think I have an idea of what I'm going to do later!

Everyone at the table raised their heads from their plate to look at the brunette.

— I'm thinking of doing a double degree, to start something like economics and management. Something to do with art. Or both at the same time.

Bruce, of course, was the first to react.

— Oh? That sounds appropriate to me. Do you already have a job in mind?

— Yes! I'd like to open my own design agency and launch a clothing brand.

— Mm-hmm. That's why you want a bachelor's degree in business administration...

—Yep!

— That's nice, Mari! I promise I'll be your number one customer!

—Thank you, Dickie! 

— Does that mean you already know where you want to study?

— I don't know yet, Timmy, but somehow that's only part of my plan...

— Oh? What's next?

Marinette turned to her father, who was the one who asked her the question.

— Well, like I said I would like to have a university degree.

—Very well.

— Then, once my agency is set up, I would like to buy myself a house! Not as big as the Manor, but with a minus one floor! Or a loft...

— I see.

— And a nice car! I'll have to pass the driving license first, but I'd like a red car!

— Mmh.

— Then... why not get married!

— Right... **Wait, what?**

— WHAT?! [Tim]

— HUH?! [Jason]

— I'M SORRY?! [Dick]

—WHAT DID YOU SAY?! [Damian]

A slight silence.

**Then came the apocalypse.**

— Marriage? With whom?! [Tim]

— What do you mean by marriage?! [Bruce]

— Do you have a boyfriend? What's his name? Do we know him?! Tell me he's not a delinquent! (...) [Dick]

— **TT** , he will have to face with the sword first. [Damian]

— You're three times too small to have a guy! [Jason]

Marinette looked at them really confused.

She didn't really understand what the problem was.

Then her gaze turned to her sister Cassandra who was laughing. When she looked at her, she immediately began to laugh again.

— I... um... Don't have a boyfriend. 

**A collective sigh of relief escaped from the men of the table.**

The brunette laughed for a moment nervously.

_I guess admitting that I already kiss Jon once by accident is not the right time?_

She thinks that if she ever had a boyfriend, she would never tell her family.

**Never.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Marinette's Tessen-jutsu is based on Kitana's character in the game Mortal Kombat. Yes, she also has a magical fan in the same style as this character's, but she only uses it very rarely because she respects Batman's code. [Note: The two times she's used this magic fan are when she had her " crises" and she eliminated her mother and when she confronted her grandfather.]
> 
> \- Concerning LadyBird's uniform: Well, Marinette, it's a mix between the costume of Red Robin, RedBird (comic) and Kitana (Mortal Kombat). It is almost entirely black, except for her mask which is bright red and her fans which are red and black. And also, some details of her shorts which is red and black.


	5. Marinette Dupain-Cheng

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette realizes that her brothers won't always be there with her. More importantly, she's not interested in the superheroic cloak. A terrible event will turn her life upside down. For better or worse?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the first chapter, I said that this was a big joke and that there was no real scenario. Well... I lied. xD  
> I warn right now, this chapter is not "funny" at all. He's even sad.

**  
**

— I now declare you husband and wife; you can kiss the bride!

The whole family applauds.

Marinette bombarded the couple with photos and was happy to post a few videos on her blog.

The teenager was all the more satisfied since the couple were both wearing outfits, she had made herself. She was proud of the result!

After all it was a great day, Dick Grayson-Wayne was FINALLY a married man. The lucky one was none other than Princess Koriand'r.

It wasn't just Dick who had evolved!

Jason had brought someone with him, too. A certain Artemis Grace.

Her older brother had managed to seduce an Amazon...

And above all, another **_redheaded_** woman! What was wrong with her brothers with red hair?! If Tim find a redhead too, it would be the icing on the cake!

As the guests headed to the reception room, the brunette set off to join Damian outside the Chapel.

The boy was lost in his thoughts, looking at the sky.

It was true that the day was special, but not completely happy.

— It's almost been two weeks since Jon went into space...

— TT, I don't care what that alien hybrid has become.

— Yes, I know Dami.

The two remained silent for a moment.

— Dami, do you like redheads?

Damian looked at her, raising an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the meaning of her question.

— Promise me that you are not going to be in a relationship with a terrorist...

— Stop this nonsense immediately. I'm not like our father, much less Richard or Todd. I'm not interested in relationships.

— You never know... You've inherited Papa's _serial adopter_ side!

— That's not true.

— Yes, it is!

— No.

— Yes.

— No.

— Yes.

— N-

— Damian! Marinette! What are you doing?! The meal will soon be served!

— We're coming, Papa!

As the two walked towards the room, Marinette continued her discussion with her little brother.

— Now that Dick's married, we won't see him as much as before, it's going to be weird.

— Tt.

— It's just you and me now... especially with Tim moving out with his friends for good... Is it the Titans, I think?

—Young Justice... Or Outsiders.

— I'll have to ask him... They change the name of their band all the time, it's painful in the end, you get lost!

— Mmm.

_And I'll also spend less time with Jason now that he's in a relationship and has formed his own group..._

The brunette looked at the sky for a moment before entering the reception room.

It was a beautiful day.

Then a short time later, Damian himself went to reform the Teen Titans.

And Jon still hadn't given any sign of life...

Marinette was feeling a little lonely. She felt like she was the only one in her family _who didn't have a purpose as a heroine_... Was it bad, if she wanted to be just... **normal**?

-XxxX-

The time for the Gala finally arrived.

Marinette wore a beautiful dress made by herself.

However, she wore a mask -also made by her care-. She will present herself as "Netty" and not as Marinette.

When the young lady saw the behavior of the people at this party, the brunette was convinced that she had made the right choice.

**They were just hypocrites.**

Damian, who felt he had nothing to hide -and because he didn't give a damn about what people might think of him-, showed his face.

Marinette had never so much pretended to smile in such a short time.

**Basically, she was a hypocrite, too, wasn't she?**

The teenager understood one thing from that evening: she really didn't like playing the role of a "Wayne". _It was a legacy too frivolous for her._

The problem was that she didn't like being an "Al Ghul" either. _It was a legacy too bloodthirsty._

_If I'm not a Wayne, nor an Ah Ghul... What am I?_

-XxxX-

It was her turn to be on patrol.

Everything was fine, until it was reported that Scarecrow had escaped from Arkham Asylum. She then began to look for the villain and did not take very long to find him.

The brunette immediately communicated her position to Batman and Robin.

— We'll arrive in a few minutes, don't engage the fight

—Understood.

LadyBird watched in silence the actions of her _prey,_ waiting for reinforcements. She heard a strange noise coming from behind her. The lady turned around for a moment but saw nothing.

It was probably the wind.

She thought she smelled a strange smell of burning straw. Her vision befell slightly.

LadyBird shook her head for a few moments.

That was _weird._

When Batman and Robin arrived, she was waiting for them to hide. The young vigilante made a quick report of the situation.

Together, they had no trouble neutralizing all these people.

At least... until another character appeared on the scene. The sinister laughter that reasoned in the building left no doubt as to the identity of the villain.

What was the Joker doing there?

— Good evening my friends, this evening is a bit boring, don't you think? How about... we make it a little more fun? **_Ahahahahahahahah!_**

— Robin, LadyBird, take Scarecrow and his minions, I'll take care of him.

—Tt, we are largely capab-

— This is not the time for your crises of greatness Robin. Leave. 

LadyBird pulled on Robin's cape to follow her.

He did it mumbling.

Alas, when they went out, the door suddenly closed, locking them inside the building.

— Titititi... Why would you make such cute little birdies go away? Especially when one of them is part of the trick!

Batman squinted.

— I recently learned a very funny joke! It's the story of a _little bird_ that stubbornly _refused to die_ , so the baby bird took a dive into forbidden waters! It survived for a long time... but came out a little... **_crazy_**. Ahahahahahahahaha!

Marinette felt a cold sweat running down her back. How could the Joker know this story? Did that mean he had discovered her identity?!

Batman and Robin's reaction was immediate. The two stood before her like a shield. They too understood the reference - not surprisingly-.

— I wonder... what will happen... if the little bird lets out _its true nature_? What a beautiful painting!

A green smoke began to come out of the ground. A smell similar to burning straw began to tickle her nostrils.

_I've sniffed that smell before._

So, Scarecrow was just a bait.

The three of them were trapped.

LadyBird immediately put on her mask. Her two teammates did the same.

**But... It was too late.**

The little vigilante felt her head turn. She began to cough heavily.

Several men began to emerge from the shadows.

They were wearing Clown masks.

It was at this moment that the men began to charge and started shooting. She dodged the bullets as best she could. Her body began to shake uncontrollably. The little vigilante realized that she was the only one affected by this phenomenon. Batman and Robin were fine. That reassured her.

Her mind began to wander. She could feel the blood from her veins boiling.

A feeling of anger invades her.

No.

It was stronger than that.

**It was rage.**

LadyBird began to relive terrible memories... When she was still with her mother Talia and that witch Lady Shiva.

The world around her was spinning again and again. Then she heard those words spoken by the sociopathic clown.

— Who would have thought the little bird was as easy to break as her little mate! Anyway... Him... I just had to smash him _with a crowbar_! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The little vigilante saw red. That scumbag had no right to talk about Jason that way!

HE HAD NO RIGHT!

 ** _Shut the fuck_** **_up._**

LadyBird dodged the shots with inhuman agility.

_"LadyBird! Calm down! Whatever you can see or hear, it's not reality!"  
_

The men who wore masks transformed themselves.

Some looked like her grandfather, others liked her mother, others looked like Lady Shiva.

She began to hear their voices, their laughter...

And the voice of the Joker who reasoned in the distance that he had loved torturing her brother Jason.

The last thing she heard was the cries of Batman calling her name... Unless it was Robin. Then... their bodies fell inert before her.

It was all red.

Blood.

It was too much.

**Just too much.**

When LadyBird regained her spirits, she was standing, all alone.

Looking around her.

There was a strange smell, like iron.

The little vigilante looked at herself and realized that she was covered in blood.

Her uniform was torn in several places.

She was bleeding profusely in her leg and shoulder.

And above all...

**There were bodies around her.**

_"LadyBird?"_

She turned around.

It was Red Hood. His gun was stillpined up on her. Did her brother shoot her?

At that very moment, a wave of memory began to wash over her.

She was on patrol. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her, then she was completely in darkness. When she awoke, she'd been captured by Scarecrow and the Joker, who'd injected her with something.

Then...

Oh Heaven...

So, she had dreamed of the arrival of Batman and Robin...

She looked again at the blood on her hands.

**LadyBird had crossed the red line.**

She had completely flouted her father's code of honour... The teenager had betrayed her family...

Tears began to flow down her cheeks, and she dropped to the ground.

_What did I do? What did I do?_

Powerful arms surrounded her.

They were her father's arms.

— Shhhh... shhhh, it's over sweety... Everything's fine... You're safe... 

What was nothing but tears turned into a sob, then into a _desperate cry_.

She then realized that other people were present, not just her father, there were almost all her family and other heroes that she could not identify because of her tears. 

— It wasn't your fault.

-XxxX-

**Three weeks.**

It was the time during which she was a prisoner of the drugs concocted by the two villains.

During this time, LadyBird had carried out a massacre, not only in Gotham but also in several other cities.

Apparently, she had even managed to knock out Superman...

Well, let's just say he had let himself be beaten.

He had been made aware of the situation and didn't want to hurt her - _his kindness will kill him someday_ -.

She didn't know what to make of the news.

It had taken her father some time to make the antidote.

Unfortunately, LadyBird's name was tainted in the worst possible way.

Her family was there to tell her that she wasn't herself.

It wasn't her fault...

That's what everyone kept telling her. Even the few heroes that the teenager had hurt during her “meltdown” didn't blame her.

**And that was the problem.**

Maybe it was true. But it wouldn't bring back all the lives she'd taken in that time. Her hands were dirtier than ever.

**She was a monster again.**

Marinette fell into a serious depression after these events and closed in on herself.

Over time, her condition worsened more and more.

Marinette let herself die.

Running out of ideas and seriously worried about his daughter's health, Bruce decided it might be best to keep Marinette away from Gotham, at least for a while.

He decided to send her to Paris with a couple of friends. They knew his identity because he saved them from the clutches of the League of Shadows a few years ago.

This idea was not well received by everyone in the family - notably Dick and Damian - or even some of his fellow heroes -Superman in particular had accused him of "getting rid" of his daughter- But Bruce didn't care. It was Marinette's health that was at stake and if she’d stay with them... She would spend her life remembering what happened.

She needed an environment that would not remind her of the terrible events she had suffered. He was surprised, however, that Tim and Jason approved of his decision. Basically it reassured him... If the two people who were by far closest to Marinette agreed, then it was that the solution was the most appropriate.

Marinette Al Ghul Wayne became Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the "adopted daughter" of Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain.

After a few weeks with the Dupain-Cheng family, Marinette was feeling much better. They were a really lovely couple.

And then... Back to school was coming up.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was going to be able to make her comeback at a new middle school in France.

And most of all... she had finally become **_normal_**.

* * *

** Bonus: **

— Hello everyone! This is Netty Wayne! I'm really sorry I didn't give any news during all this time, but you see I was very busy... And now I can FINALLY tell you what happened in the last few weeks! 

The young woman pulled out a French flag and put it around her neck.

— I'm moving out! For the next school year, I'll be in France! As there was a lot of things to prepare for my departure, I didn't have time to make any more videos. There, you know everything! My next video will be on French soil! Big kiss and take care. Netty Out!

Marinette turns off her camera. She then removed the green background behind her. Then after some adjustments, she posted her video on her blog.

The teenager then took her little rabbit in her arms - no way she left her at the Manor- and went down to join the Dupain-Cheng in their living room.

She had a videogame battle to win against Tom!


	6. Ladybug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette becomes Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I warn you right now, this story will be different from the original work!
> 
> Keep in mind that here Marinette is the daughter of Batman, trained by Lady Shiva to be her successor. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng" in this story is a false identity!

It was back to school for Marinette. As a result, she had adopted her "Marinette Dupain-Cheng" personality. The brunette for the occasion had put her sophisticated outfits in the closet, to instead dress up in more casual clothes.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng, adorable girl, shy, and above all extremely clumsy. Currently under the tutelage of the Dupain-Cheng couple. Recently arrived from the United States, the brunette was sent by her father to France to study there.

Here's her official presentation.

— Oh Marinette, you're awake already, sweetie?

— Good morning Sabine! Yes, I didn't sleep much...

— Is it? Are you worried about your first day of school? Are you worried about not having any friends?

— No, not really.

— Are you depressed?

— No, I'm not depressed either. I just don't really want to go... especially since I already know the program. Besides... 

— You miss your family.

— I do miss them.

— You'll see, everything's gonna be okay.

— That's nice, Sabine.

Before leaving the bakery, Tom gave her a box of macaroons. According to him, the pastries would help her make friends!

_Or to attract profiteers..._

But Marinette certainly wouldn't say it out loud so as not to hurt her guardian. After all, the man had been very kind to her by giving her these little treats. It would be a crime for her not to be grateful.

Along the way, she saved the life of an old man who was about to be run over by a car. After making sure the little man was all right, she left to join her school. She had a little trouble finding her way around, but eventually reached her destination.

She chose to settle in the second row.

There weren't many people in the class, so to pass the time, she decided to nibble on the macaroons that Tom had given her earlier. The brunette soon realized that the girl next to her was looking at her cakes with envy. She ends up handing her the box.

— Do you want some?

— Can I really? Thank you, that's nice!

Marinette smiled at her.

— I'm Marinette.

— And I'm Mylene. Are you new?

— Yes. I arrived a short time ago.

The two teenage girls began to chat, soon joined by a boy with a rooster crest as a headdress and another with glasses. Both interested in macaroons. Then it was the turn of a little blonde girl dressed all in pink.

_I can't believe this pastry thing really works... Tom is a genius!_

Marinette quickly sympathized with them.

Until another blondie and a redhead burst into the classroom. The blonde looked at her insistently, then with disgust. She headed straight for Marinette.

— You, the news girl, know that this is **my** seat!

Marinette raised an eyebrow.

Was it really her that little blonde was talking to?

Immediately, Mylene, the girl with whom she had just sympathized came to her rescue.

— Chloe... You've never sat there before...

— Mylene is right Chloe, you can let Marinette sit where she wants, plus she's new!

— Mind your own business, Kim! Marinette, right? Go sit somewhere else!

The redheaded girl settled by her side

— New School, new year, new seat.

— Listen to me, Adrien's arriving today. And since that going to be he's seat, this, it going to be **my** seat! Get it?

The blonde had pointed the place right in front of Marinette.

— Who's Adrien?

Marinette's question had the merit of making the two little plagues laugh.

_I didn't sleep enough to handle this nonsense..._

— Can you believe she doesn't know who Adrien is! Ahahaha! No, but you live on what planet*?

— He's a very well-known model!

— And I'm his best friend, he's adores me. Then go on, move.

— On earth.

— What?

— I live on earth. I thought everyone knew what planet he lived on.

Marinette heard giggling in the classroom.

However, she chose not to pay attention to it. The blonde looked at her surprised by her answer. Apparently, the miss was not used to being stood up to.

— Next, there are 7.43 billion people on earth. Knowing that the first name Adrien is very popular and that in Belgium alone there are about 7942 people with this first name... Imagine in France where there are 67 million citizens. Of which 2,187,526 live in Paris alone. And you, you expect me to know an "Adrien"?

The blonde began to grumble while the students laughed heartily.

Marinette thought it was not a good idea to make an enemy at the beginning of the school year.

When the redhead saw that the brunette wasn't going to change places, she began to push her out of her seat. The blonde then pulled her by the arm. The teacher finally chose to intervene.

— Marinette Dupain-Cheng if I understood correctly? Why don't you come and sit up front?

Wait, WHAT?!

She was being insulted, pushed out of her seat and pulled like a clean evil when she was already settled, and it was up to her to change her seat?!

Marinette, for a brief moment, let her "bat-stare" slip. The professor flickered in surprise. The brunette took her bag in silence and went to sit in front, next to another girl with glasses. She heard the two girls giggling behind her back.

— A-All right, everybody find their seats? Let's get started.

The professor, whose name was then Mrs. Bustier, began her explanations. Finally, after the bell had rung, the famous "Adrien" had not even pointed his nose. Marinette quickly left the classroom; she had chosen to play sports. The little blonde girl named Rose offered to show her the way.

She accepted immediately.

At the end of the training session, everyone was putting away the sports equipment, when suddenly a scream startled everyone.

— KIIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Marinette felt her jaw drop.

Some kind of giant rock monster jumps out in the middle of the stadium. The brunette took cover very quickly and pulled Rose with her. The girl realized with relief that everyone was also going to take shelter. Everyone except Kim, the boy with the crest, who was being chased by the monster. Marinette discreetly left her classmates to take refuge in the bleachers.

_What the hell?! I leave a town full of crazy people and I end up in a town full of monsters?! Is that what we call Karma?_

At that moment, a boy dressed as a cat appeared.

— Hey, it's not very nice to pick on someone smaller than you!

— I guess you're talking about yourself.

Marinette watched the boy "fight" against the colossus. It was just nonsense! That kid didn't know how to fight!

What the fuck was that monster?! Was this kind of attack normal in Paris?! Why didn't the League know about it? That kid dressed as a cat had to fight that kind of creature all by himself?

The brunette was very worried, she had absolutely no weapon on her! And her father who always told her to be prepared for anything!

Suddenly she noticed something strange. There was a black box next to her. Marinette took the intriguing object. When she opened it, a weird red light flashed out and a red creature came out of it.

— Ahhh! Help! It's a giant bug! A... a mouse! A bug-mouse!

— Everything is okay, don't be scared.

— OH MY GOD, BUG-MOUSE TALKS!

Marinette threw her bag over the flying bug and was about to run when she heard a big "Boom". The cat boy was in trouble!

— Marinette!

The brunette turned her attention to the red thing. Then she suddenly pulled herself together.

**That bug knew her name.**

It was not normal!

— Who are you? How do you know my name?

— I am a Kwami and my name is Tikki. I'll explain everything.

The Kwami did her best to be able to explain everything very quickly. Time was running out and the cat boy was being slaughtered... When Marinette saw that the cat boy had been captured, she decided to cut short the red bug's explanations.

— Okay, uh...

— Tikki.

— That's right, Tikki, if I understand correctly, I just have to throw a Lucky Charm, then break the object in which the thing is lodged, catch it, then throw the other power to repair the damage, right?

— Yes, that's right.

— Okay, Tikki, Spot on!

Marinette didn't even take the time to look at what she looked like. Without really thinking, she threw herself into battle. She manages to bring down the Big Rock thanks to her yoyo. It was quite strange as a weapon; it reminded her a little of her **_kusarigama._**

The brunette quickly became able to understand how her "power" worked. She manages to beat the monster without a problem.

**All by herself.  
**

Well, using the cat boy as bait...

At the end of the fight, the boy looked at her with bright eyes.

— You were incredible um Miss... bug lady... You did it!

Marinette looked at him strangely.

This boy didn't take this job seriously.

Did he realize what had just happened? The brunette chooses to just smile slightly at her partner and then turned to the person who had been "possessed". The brunette began to chat with the boy -Ivan if her memory was good-.

Then... The girl who was sitting next to her in class came out of nowhere, pointing her camera at her.

The lady was bombarding her with questions.

_Oh great, a second Vicki Vale, that's all I needed!_

Marinette left without asking for the rest.

When Marinette returned home, and Tikki reappeared, the brunette immediately told her to take the earrings and leave.

— But why? You did very well, though.

— Tikki, I don't know who led you to me, but that person made a serious error of judgment. I'm not meant to be a superhero. I-I'm a calamity as a hero!

— But what are you talking about? You did it!

— You don't understand... I'm a killer, Tikki.

— What?!

Marinette explained to her at length who she was. That the brunette's father was a vigilante, that her whole family worked as heroes.

— Go back to your master and let him know that he can make contact with the Justice League... I can even help him with that, but... I'm not meant to be a hero. I... I'm too... I'm not up to it.

— Marinette, you were chosen for a good reason.

— No. Choose another girl to be a heroine.

Marinette then removed the earrings. The little creature gone.

_Why did Tikki leave without the earrings?_

— Marinette, are you here?

— Yes Sabine, I am in my room.

— Come down right now, you have to see this.

The teenager obeys. To her horror, there were frozen stone monsters all over the city.

**She forgot to capture the butterfly.**

In any case, it was no longer her problem. Tikki was gone, she would probably come back to get her earrings during the night...

**The Kwami did not come back for the miraculous.**

Marinette's brain was working like crazy. Whoever gave her that jewelry knew her. What if that person also knew the identities of the other members of her family? That was extremely dangerous. What was she supposed to do? Should she call her father and explain the situation?

The brunette went straight to class and sat in the second row again. Her Classmate from the other day came and sat next to her one more time. From what Marinette had understood, this girl nicknamed Alya, was also a new student.

While waiting for the class to begin, Marinette was writing on her Bullet Journal some ideas that had come to her mind for a new "Netty" video.

— You're in the wrong seats. Go on, get lost!

— No.

— Excuse me?!

— I said, No.

Marinette looked at her with a bored look on her face, then continued to write on her diary as if nothing had happened. Alya next to her laughed softly. Chloe walked over to her angry. At the same moment, the famous "Adrien" entered the classroom.

— Listen to me, newbie, if you don't want me to make your life _a living hell_ , I suggest you get the hell out of here!

Alya next to her jumped out of her seat angrily.

— Hey! Who elected you queen of the seats?

— Oh... look Sabrina, we have a little hero in the class this year! What are you going to do to me super-newbie? Shoot rays at me with your glasses?

The teenager looked at Alya for a moment. She probably had to reconsider her judgment of this girl. She definitely wasn't a bad person.

— Chloe? What are you doing?

— Oh Adrikins! This will be your seat. I saved it for you, right in front of me!

— Thank Chloe, but what's all that about?

— Oh Adrikins, you still have a lot to learn. The brat that sit here talked down to me. I'm just teaching them to respect me.

— Chloe, is that really necessary?

— Watch the master!

Marinette watched the scene for a little while. This boy was definitely a nice guy. Pretty amazing that someone so docile would be best friends with a temperamental little pestilence...

The blonde came back, but before she opened her mouth, Marinette cut her dry. She got up from her seat and stared at the blonde girl, right into her eyes.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng could go to hell! She was an Al-Ghul, she was a Wayne!

Fuck her cover! She won't let herself be stepped on!

**Marinette willingly let her killer instincts come out.  
**

For a few seconds, the whole class felt as if a huge weight had suddenly fallen on them. The air had suddenly become very cold. Unintentionally, they held their breath. It was as if death had invited itself into their classroom.

Then, it was gone.

The brunette put her hand on Chloe's shoulder as she watched her frightened and trembling. Indeed, if everyone had just felt an unpleasant pressure, Chloe had for a few seconds a hallucination of her own death*.

— Look, there are seats up front, you can sit there with your friend Sabrina if you want.

The teenage girl gave her a sweet smile.

The blonde nodded silently and went to sit in front. Marinette turned her attention to her diary as if nothing had happened. As she looked up, she noticed that everyone was staring at her.

She then took on her most innocent face, then blushed furiously - entering her role as Marinette Dupain-Cheng-.

— Is something wrong? I got something on my face, right?

As if by magic, everyone stopped looking at her and resumed their initial activity. At least her acting skills were as effective as ever. Only the famous "Adrien" kept staring at her.

Alas, Ivan was akumatized again. Marinette had to intervene again, reluctantly. She then realized that Tikki had never actually left but had disappeared when she removed her earrings. This time, Marinette purified the Akuma.

Marinette later confronted Tikki again.

— I want to meet your master.

— What?! But...

— Look, I just want to tell him the truth about me. I highly doubt he's familiar with my story. If after hearing the whole truth, he still considers me worthy to wear your miraculous then... I... I would do what I have to do. But if he ever refuses, which between us would be the best choice, then I'll give it back.

Tikki looked at her for a moment, and eventually accepted.

Marinette then met Master Fu. The lady recognized him immediately. The old man was very surprised to see her. The brunette then told him her whole story.

All of it.

The old man listened attentively.

— That's it, you know everything... Do you understand now why I can't be a heroine? I am... _I'm a monster_...

— On the contrary, young lady, I think you are the ideal candidate.

— W-What? Have you been listening to what I've been telling you?!

— The mere fact that you came to me and told me the truth is proof of immense greatness. Being able to recognize your mistakes and try to correct them is proof of great maturity. And finally, you came to see me to talk to me, rather than calling your acquaintances behind my back. That shows great honesty. In other words, you have all the qualities required to be the bearer of the miracle of creation.

— ...

Marinette felt blush.

— You... Do you really mean what you're saying?

— Yes, I mean it.

The brunette looked at him attentively. Everything in his body language screamed at her that he meant every word he said.

Marinette took a deep breath.

— Well... All right, I'm going to help you.

— Wonderful news.

— But I have conditions.

— Which ones?

— First of all, I want to know how miraculous things work in every detail, especially this "Hawk Moth". Then I want you to teach me your guardian knowledge. I'll never be effective in the field if I don't know all the cards in my hand. Then, I demand to be able to train my partner! This boy doesn't know how to fight at all, if it wasn't for the magic combination, he would be dead already! Finally, I want my guardians to know who I am.

— I agree with everything, except for the last part. Your identities must remain a secret.

— I understand Master. But it will be counterproductive. Believe me, I come from a family of vigilantes. If there's one thing I know, it's the importance of secret identities. And believe me, that's the experience talking. If I hide anything from my guardians, sooner or later it will come to my father's attention, and I can assure you, you're not going to like having Batman on your back.

— I don't know, Marinette...

— If my guardians know, then they will help me hide my identity. And yours at the same time. I assure you Master that this is the best solution. When you're alone, you're vulnerable, but with a few men you can defeat an army!

— I think this girl is right, Master.

— Wayzz?!

The floating turtle looked at Marinette.

— You have made an excellent choice Master; this girl will undoubtedly be a great holder!

Master Fu finally accepted Marinette's proposal.

As Marinette had predicted, Sabine and Tom agreed to keep it a secret. Of course, they supported it as well. Master Fu made allies.

Marinette was so absorbed in this miraculous story that she forgot to update her blog.

* * *

*In the english version, Chloe says "What rock in your be living under?" but here, I choose to keep the French version, with which I am more familiar.

* This scene is directly inspired by the appearance of "All for One" in My Hero Academia season 2.

* * *

** Bonus 1: **

In the middle of the night, Marinette woke up unexpectedly.

— OH MY GOD, I'VE BECOME LIKE BATMAN!

** Bonus 2: **

**A few days later.**

**2:00 a.m., Paris time.**

_BZZZ... BZZZZ... BZZZZ... BZZZ._

Marinette looked at her phone.

64 missed calls from "Papa <3"

20 missed calls from "Tsudere-Dam"

75 missed calls from "Daddy Tim ♥"

105 missed calls from "BlueBird"

30 Missed call from "Cassoulet ♥"

3 missed calls from "Uncle Clark"

23 missed calls from "Kori <3"

10 missed calls from "Babs ♥"

15 missed calls from "Blondie <3"

2 missed calls from "Papa's Thief"

180 missed call from "Daddy Jay ♥" _(seriously?!_ )

The brunette had only one desire, to throw her phone out the window, but if she did not answer, she was sure that all the cavalry would land in Paris.

— Hello?

— Mari? You finally answer!

— Dick? Do you have any idea what time it is?

— Are you all right? Are you okay? Why didn't you update your blog this week? You're in a phase of depression, aren't you? Everyone worries Mari! Bruce was even ready to go to Paris this week!

—Dick... I have a life outside of this blog... I have a lot of work to do. I also help Sabine and Tom with their bakery... No, I haven't had a panic attack or depression since I arrived in Paris. You can tell everyone I'm okay.

— Really? I'm happy for you Netty. Do you, uh-

— Dick, it's 2:00 in the morning, I have class at 8:30, let me sleep!

— Sorry Netty, good night!

—Night.

Marinette closed her eyes again. Then...

BZZZZ... BZZZZ... BZZZZ... BZZZZ

— No, seriously? Are they serious right now?! It's a fucking joke!

Later, Marinette arrived at the school with such a dark aura that no one dared to talk to her all day.


	7. Beyond appearances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter refers to several songs:
> 
> \- Numa, numa yei from O-zone
> 
> \- Despacito from Luis Fonsi
> 
> \- Le Café from Odelaf
> 
> \- Futari no Kimochi no Honto no Himitsu, Ending "Kill me Baby".
> 
> \- Red Fraction, Opening "Black Lagoon"
> 
> \- Gangnam Style de Psy.
> 
> -The Little Chick Cheep
> 
> -Loituma - Ieva's Polka
> 
> \- Crazy Frog – Axel F
> 
> N/A: The story is different from the Canon.

_A bored Marinette **makes stupid decisions**. A stressed-out Marinette does **crazy things**..._

Lately, the brunette has been feeling seriously pressured. Between her classes in middle school, her classes with Master Fu about the Miraculous, her fencing classes, her job at the bakery, her blog…

And her duty as a ladybug...

Seriously, Marinette was starting to wonder if Hawk Moth had a life outside of his costume!

The teenager felt like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

**So, she decided to decompress.**

How?

By having fun making clips in her room!

So, it was a Marinette disguised as Batman who filmed herself with a Gotham background and thunderous music.

— I am vengeance, I am the night, I am... **BATMAN**! *thunder roars*

She went on, still dressed as Batman, with a song: "Numa numa yei" by O-zone. Marinette had to go through several times to record this song... She couldn't help but laugh each time she imagined her father singing it. Since there were three singers, Marinette later disguised herself as Superman and then as Green Lantern.

Then it was a Marinette disguised as Nightwing who sang "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi. She decided that in the end it wasn't enough. So, she made a clip with this song as well. Always dressed as Nightwing.

Since she was off to a good start, the brunette disguised herself as Red Robin and started singing "Le Café" by Oldelaf. Then ended up recreating the video again, but this time dressed as Red Robin.

And since she was having so much fun doing that nonsense...

She decided to reproduce the little dance from the song "Futari no Kimochi no Honto no Himitsu" which was an ending to "Kill me Baby". Wearing the uniform of Robin and Superboy!

She continued in beauty, with a cosplay of Red Hood and reproduces "Red Fraction", opening of the anime "Black Lagoon".

Marinette ends with the clip she was most proud of: the song from Psy's "Gangnam Style", with all the members of the Bat-family. She had to change her clothes several times, but she was so pleased with her work... It was amazing!

It took the teenager a good two weeks to prepare everything, but the result was worth it.

She felt much better!

Netty Wayne posted her videoclips on her blog.

**It was a total buzz.**

Maybe even a too big success...

Less than 30 minutes after she posted the video, her phone started vibrating. She was getting messages from everyone.

Dick - OMG Mari! I LOVE IT! You look so cute wearing a Nightwing outfit!

Tim – Marinette, WTF?!

Bruce - Marinette, honey, sweetie, kitten... Can you please for God's sake stop making videos?

Damian - Get that atrocity off your blog. **RIGHT NOW**! Don't include me in your nonsense!

Jason - nfejzkjbbzjf! OMG! I♥U! This is excellent! Send me a copy right away, Netty!

Cass – lol

Stephanie - eklaznlbfkjebfjZC! I didn't know I needed this in my life! AHHHHH! if you could see Bruce's face!

Duke - I hate you so much. I'm supposed to be working on my lessons!

Barbara - I've sent links to everyone. <3

Selina - You have officially become my favorite Wayne.

-XxxX-

The next day in class, Alix, who had become her best friend since the beginning of the school year, took her aside. She was the only one who knew she was "Netty Wayne".

— Girl, what are these clips?! Ahahaha, that's a great trick!

Marinette laughed heartily with her friend.

They left to join their group of friends, consisting of Kim, Max, Nathaniel and Sabrina.

At this point, the class was divided into several small groups. On one side were Nino, Adrien and Alya who were always together. Then there was Rose, Juleka, Mylene and Ivan who often stayed together.

And finally, Chloe, who was by herself most of the time.

Overall, the class got along well.

Well... When a certain blonde girl had her mouth closed. Which, unfortunately, didn't happen very often...

Since she had arrived in middle school, Chloe seemed to have decided to make Marinette her personal " whipping girl". It seemed that the scare the brunette had given her was not enough of a lesson. Finally, she tried to make Marinette her scapegoat... Indeed, the teenage girl always told her off, or simply ignored her royally. To the blonde's exasperation...

Miss Bourgeois tried to steal her creation for a Gabriel Agreste contest. She had tried to ruin her reputation for class president. By the way, at least now Marinette had enough to bring down Mayor Bourgeois, if she wanted to. She had made Sabrina lock Juleka in the toilets to get a picture with her "Adrien" -poor boy-.

Ugh... Chloe had even once tried to get her and Sabrina to do all the work in a group effort! At least, thanks to the blonde, Marinette now had an adorable friend. Sabrina and the brunette had gotten closer during this project. Since then, the redhead had always hung out with her, Alix, Nathaniel, Max and Kim.

Marinette looked again at the list she had just made during her physics-chemistry class.

\- Lady Wifi

\- Evillustrator

\- Dark Cupid

\- Horrificator

\- Reflekta

\- Timebreaker

\- Vanisher

\- Princess Fragrance

\- Rogercop

\- Kung Food

So, Chloe was responsible for a total of 10 akumatizations.

Marinette was particularly angry with Chloe after police officer Roger Raincomprix's akumatization. Not only had the little brat accused the brunette of stealing her stupid bracelet - which by the way was awful! - but she had tried to belittle Tom's work over and over again.

— I wonder how much croissant your father would have to make to buy you a bracelet like mine... Silly me, he'd have to sell the whole shop! Ahahahaha!

The teenage girl was going to end up with sore eyes from always rolling them... Her father was Bruce Wayne... He was what? A hundred times richer than the blond girl's father?

Because the incompetent mayor was good for something maybe?

Then came the last straw that broke the camel's back: the akumatization of a member of Sabine's family, Chief Cheng. He was truly an exceptional man. Chloe didn't seem to realize that she could ruin that poor man's career because of her nonsense

**So enough was enough!**

If the mayor didn't want to educate his daughter properly, then Marinette was going to force him to take his role as a father in hand.

As soon as Marinette got home, the lady got on her computer.

-XxxX-

Chloe was having the worst day of her life!

It all started when she woke up.

_On the radio there's a little chick_

_On the radio there's a little chick_

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

The blonde had fallen from her bed so much the din had frightened her. It was her radio that turned itself on. A disgusting music had begun to play at full volume.

On the radio there's a little hen

On the radio there's a little hen

And the hen CO-CO

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

She manages to turn off the damn radio. And then it was her cell phone's turn to ring.

_On the radio there's a little cock_

_On the radio there's a little cock_

_And the cock DOODLE-DOO_

_And the hen CO-CO_

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

It was the beginning of hell for Chloe.

Wherever she went, this horrible music accompanied her. How? The music was everywhere. Cell phones started ringing with this chick music whenever she walked by.

Even the ringtone that was used to make the students go back to class had been changed for this music of "little chick".

_On the radio there's a little cow_

_On the radio there's a little cow_

_And the cow MOW_

_And the lam BAH_

_And the goat MAH_

_And the dog WOOF_

_And the cat MEW_

_And the pigeon CRU CRU_

_And the turkey GOBBLE GOBBLE_

_And the cock DOODLE-DOO_

_And the hen CO-CO_

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

**_And the chick CHEEP_ **

The next day, the blonde's auditory torture continued. With a different music. This time it was "Loituma - Ieva's Polka".

Then the next day it was "Crazy Frog - Axel F".

** The whole day. **

And Chloe's ordeal didn't end there. Soon it was the turn of the song "Aqua - Barbie Girl", but this time at night. The _Grand Palace_ Hotel started to take this situation seriously.

The police were actively working to find out who was harassing Chloe Bourgeois.

Then, on the fourth day, a message was sent to the mayor.

_"Punish Chloe, like a responsible parent would. Otherwise I'm gonna keep making your life miserable. Just like the bitch who's making your life miserable for those around her."_

Attached were all the bad things Chloe had done to everyone since the beginning of the year. There was also a very long list of all of Chloe's nonsense, which the mayor had deliberately covered up.

_"If you do nothing, then this list will be posted online.”_

Initially, the mayor refused to be blackmailed. But when he saw that the mysterious stalker kept his promise and distributed the list of things, he had offered to Chloe using public money... He had to take action.

Chloe had to apologize publicly for her bad deeds.

From now on, every time the blonde was being a bitch or talking badly to someone, and that person ended up akumatized because of her, the stalker would ruin her life.

**Chloe's reign of terror came to an end.**

After these events, Marinette ends up regretting her action.

Admittedly, Chloe was a spoiled little brat. But on the other hand, being a rich man's child herself it would be hypocritical of her to pretend she never took advantage of her father's status to get what she wanted.

In fact, on this point, she was worse than all her brothers combined. The brunette had already made her father spend a fortune because she wanted this fabric, from this country... Or because she wanted a tea that was only available in a small country in the world... She had also made her father rent an entire amusement park just for fun with her brothers and sisters.

**This were whims.**

She learned from listening to a conversation Adrien had with Nino that Chloe's mother had abandoned her family to live in New York.

It was a situation that seemed strangely familiar...

Marinette also started thinking about her own father. Bruce had always given in to her whims. Tim was the one who regulated her pocket money...-otherwise Bruce ended up "giving too much" according to Tim-. This was probably what was missing in Chloe's life: she didn't have a Tim or a Jason in her life.

The brunette ends up asking Sabine and Tom for advice.

— I understand the feeling... But I'm not sure it was the right thing to do, Marinette.

— Tom's right, honey. Sometimes you have to look beyond appearances to get to the bottom of a problem.

Marinette then decided to try a new approach with Chloe.

At first, the blonde fiercely repulsed her. Then, in a second time, she finally let her approach her a little. The brunette quickly realized that behind the chipie's facade, there was in fact a very lonely and insecure girl.

_She looks like the girl I was when I arrived at Papa's Manor..._

Chloe started to change little by little.

She was still a plague, but _a tolerable one_.

Soon, Chloe returned to her circle of friends. The blonde became her new shopping partner.

This story served as a lesson to her.

**_Seeing beyond appearances..._ **

That was good advice.

-XxxX-

For several months, Marinette lived in Paris with the couple Dupain-Cheng.

This also meant that she hadn't seen her family since...

It was the first Christmas and the first New Year that she spent away from her family.

Even if she didn't talk about it, it still weighed heavily on her. After New Year's Day, the young girl got into the habit of taking her two fans everywhere with her. The first was the one Lady Shiva gave her. It was a blue fan, with extremely sharp blades. It was magical and allowed her to take control of the wind around her. The second fan was red and black. It was a gift from her brother Tim. This fan had been made of the hardest materials that could be found in the universe.

That day was special.

It was time for her fencing class, and most importantly, it was open day. Her teacher was looking for a new recruit for their team. It was on this occasion that she had to face a girl dressed entirely in red. Being the best student in the school - Adrien was right behind her - the girl had to face the newcomer.

The new girl lost. Marinette felt sorry for the girl... The only people who could compete with her in fencing were her family members.

The girl was akumatized.

She learned in the process that the girl's name was Kagami Tsurugi.

Two important things happened:

First thing, when Marinette launched her Lucky Charm, it was a fan that appeared. This had the effect of freezing her blood and left her completely paralyzed for a few seconds. She was then saved by Adrien Agreste. The boy had rushed to the new recruit to console her for her defeat. The poor blond man then injured his leg during his rescue attempt.

Marinette then had to resolve to do something: use her precious red and black fan again... The one she used as _LadyBird_.

Tim's gift.

The weapon she swore she'd never use again since... the incident. The one that cost her the role of LadyBird. That took her away from her family... Her daddy, her little brother... Her older brothers... Alfred's.

**The weapon that turned her into a monster.**

Nope.

It wasn't the time to think about what she'd done.

Marinette was no longer LadyBird. Now she was Ladybug. Protector of Paris, pupil of the last Guardian.

Ladybug had a city to protect.

The brunette then took out her two fans that were hidden inside her yo-yo. The teenager was surprised to realize how ingrained her fighting style was in her.

She performed her dance to perfection.

The dance ~~her mother~~ Sandra Wu-San taught her.

The dance that nearly wiped out the heroes...

The dance which Tim helped her perfect.

The dance that allowed her to beat Cass in battle once and only once...

_The_ _Dance of_ _Death ._

Chat Noir looked at her in complete amazement. And undoubtedly, Hawk Moth also had to see this fight through the eyes of his akumatized. It was bad for her to reveal herself so much...

The villain was beaten.

That was when the second important thing of the day happened. Ladybug realized that her partner was injured... In the same place as the blondie just moments earlier.

His's size, appearance, body language...

Then suddenly everything became clear in the mind of the young girl.

**Chat Noir was Adrien Agreste.**

Marinette decided to keep the information to herself. The teenager didn't tell anyone, not even Tikki.

Following these events, Marinette realized that it was time to get down to business. The more time went by, the stronger her opponent became. She had already had enough fun as it was.

_I can't hide behind my past forever to escape the present. Maybe it's time for me to take charge of my life?_

* * *

**BONUS 1:**

Marinette went to Master Fu's house. It was high time to hunt Hawk Moth more seriously. For that, there was something important that had to be done.

— Hi Marinette, how are you?

— Hello Master. I'm doing fine.

— May I know the reason for this visit? It's not in your habit to come here unannounced.

— You're right, it's not... I have a special request to make.

— Hm.

**— I want to form a team of superheroes.**

**BONUS 2:**

Alfred was preparing breakfast for the whole family when he realized that he had several messages from little Marinette asking him to call her urgently. With his ~~grandfather~~ butler's senses on alert, he immediately called his young mistress.

— Hello, is that you, Al?

— Hello, Miss Marinette. What can I do for you?

— Well, I have an old friend of yours with me who would like to talk to you.

— Oh? Very well.

— Alfred? How do you do, old friend.

— Wang?! I'm very well, thank you, but how...

— I'm very happy to hear you... When Marinette told me about you, I couldn't believe my ears...

— I'm also very shocked about it, my friend. But if Miss Marinette is with you then...

— Yes Al, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm going to need your help, you're the only one who can help me without drawing attention from Papa or anyone else... The last thing I need is them coming to Paris. Their intervention will complicate things...

— I understands. I'm all ears.

It was time for Ladybug to have her own _"Bug-Cave"_.


	8. "Love"?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Attention: SPOILER of season 2 and 3. The chronology of the episodes is not respected.  
> \- Inspired by the song: LOU & LENNI-KIM | This wall between us | Miraculous

Marinette felt... Strange. There was this boy who haunted her dreams and her nights.

The little lady had no idea what was happening to her. Every time she saw him, her heart pounded in her chest like never before, she started stammering like an idiot... The brunette couldn't look him in the eye and yet... 

It all started when she went to a friend's house at her junior high school. This boy was a little older than her. At first, Marinette had found him a bit strange, in a way he reminded her of her sister Cass, because of his body language. This boy was calm, quiet. Then... he did this thing with his guitar. Marinette felt like he had managed to read her soul. 

The teenager couldn't help but want to stay with him. She had started to follow him, to take pictures in secret, to look at him from afar. Marinette couldn't help but draw him everywhere... His head was practically all over her room now...

**What the hell was her problem?!**

Even when she thought about it, she was perfectly aware that what she was doing! It was completely creepy! What did this guy do to her?!

Marinette was seriously frightened by herself...

_I feel like I see Talia again, looking at pictures of daddy..._

The brunette then did the only thing that seemed rational to her. She called Jon. He always had an answer for everything that was "normal". Well, it was true that he had come back from space older*, but they were still friends, right?

— Hello?

— Jon!

— Marinette?

— Yes... Uh... Hello?

— Hi...

— Hmm... How are you?

— Good. How about you?

— Good, too.

— ...

— ...

— Can I help you?

— Oh? Uh... Yes. Well, maybe... I don’t know... It's complicated... Or not... Uh... I... Sorry, Jon, you must already have enough trouble like this. Bye.

— What?! No! Mari, wait!

— Uh?

— I... Uh. I was surprised to hear your voice after all this time, that's all. And then... Damian told me about... well... I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Netty.

— Oh, _that_? It's not your fault you know... I'm glad you came back Jo’.

— Me too, Netty... So...?

— It's hm... Complicated.

— I have nothing to do, I'm all ears.

— It's uh... I don't know how to explain it really. I don't understand what's happening to me...

— Marinette, are you having another one of those " _moments_ "?

— I sincerely wish I did. But no, it's not that.

Marinette then explained how she had been feeling lately since her path had crossed that famous boy's. And also, everything she had done...

— Jon? Are you still here?

— ...

— Jon?!

— S-Sorry Mari... It's just that... You really don't understand what you're feeling?!

— Uh, no? Should I?

— Mari... What you describe looks like _love at first sight_... You just have a soft spot for this guy...

— ...

— Marinette?

— I don't understand.

— You don't understand what?

— Love.

— Oh, yeah?

— ...

— ...

— If I kill him, will it go away?

—W-What?! N-No I don't think so! Mari, are you sure you're okay?

— No. I'm becoming like _her…_

— Like Who?

— Talia... I don't want to be like her, Jon... I don't want to be trapped by someone like that! It's... It's horrible... What am I going to do now?! How do I make it go away?!

—Mari... I don't understand, how can falling in love make you like Talia?!

— I'm not in love.

— Okay... how does _caring_ about this guy make you like Talia?

— Because it's wrong! It's because she said she loved papa that she did all those horrible things to Dami and me! And my father is no better eh! Even though today I like Selina, I have not forgotten what she is, nor what she did! Do you realize she abandoned Dad on their wedding day? And he keeps chasing her like Titus runs after a ball! Oh my god... That's exactly what I'm doing!

Eventually, Jon ends up going to Paris to talk to Marinette.

He tried to convince her that no, she was _not abnormal_.

Her feelings **_were normal_**...

Her feelings **_were human_.**

Jon had a hard time convincing her, all the more so because around her, there weren't many examples of a really happy couple... In Marinette's family, all of them had rather complicated relationships. Batman was what he was... a playboy. Even Dick, who had married within the year, wasn't the best example... The number of his conquests was impressive. Tim had this conflicted relationship with Stephanie... Jason... He didn't really know him, but his friend's older brother wasn't known as a romantic. And Damian right now didn't seem to be interested in relationships.

And he, by no means an expert on the subject... 

-XxxX-

Marinette took some time, but eventually came to terms with her feelings.

Problem?

Confessing.

It was all very well to have understood that she was in love. And now, what did she do with those feelings?

The teenager decided to ignore her heart. She didn't have time for these frivolities, she had a city to save, miraculous to recover, a school year to succeed. A few little plagues to punish... Not to mention her training as a guardian, the training of Chat Noir, her own personal training...

Her blog too... she was very attached to that blog. 

Well, she guesses it was easier said than done... There was this moment where... This creep, a guy named Bob Ross, went too far. He stole music from his friends! She didn't care if the costumes were stolen, but that creep had no right to take it out on her friends. Especially not **him**! Unintentionally, Marinette let out her "Al Ghul" side. She could feel her veins boiling with rage.

That's where the drama happens.

Because of her anger, she did not realize that an Akuma was coming for her. He threw himself on her to protect her and ended up akumatized instead of her.

Then he said these words to her that made her realize one thing: she was screwed.

_"You are an extraordinary girl Marinette_

_As Clair as a musical note_

_As Sincere as a melody._

_You are the song I've been hearing in my head since we first met.”_

Nope.

Extraordinary? Maybe, but in the wrong way!

Clear... Definitely not!

Sincere? Absolutely not. She was not sincere at all!

But at least now she had a certainty. Her feelings were mutual. She had to talk to him... Such an extraordinary boy shouldn't get attached to a _monster_ like her.

But before that... She had someone **to exterminate…**

— Hello?

— Tim-Tim!

— Mari? Is everything okay?

— Not too much... Are you busy? Otherwise I can always call back...

— I always have time for you, Netty. What's the matter?

— I have mmmh... Need to talk a little... There's someone who bothers me... Well...

— I'm listening.

Her brother's tone was serious. Marinette was well aware that she could easily ask him to get rid of the man _permanently._ He would do it without hesitation.

— So, I helped a group of friends form their group. I even made their stage costume! They participated in a competition organized by a man named Bob Ross and-

— Let me guess, their music was stolen?

— Yes, just like that. I went to see the guy in question. You know what he said to me? That if I said anything, he was going to say that I was the liar and that no one would believe a small group unknown to the battalion. Ah, and he was going to drag my name through the mud too... and no one would trust me anymore.

— **...**

— His son is the singer XY... He laughed at me and said that he had just "inspired" by my creation, and that I should be proud that someone like him was interested in my work... You know... If I hadn't had a friend with me at that time, I think I would have really had a breakdown... It took me a while to calm down...

— **Hm...**

Oh... She knew that tone, Timmy was angry.

— What's his name again?

— Bob Ross.

— Okay, just give me a few days, I'm on a case. As soon as I finish, I take care of him, it should not take more than two hours.

— Thank you, Timmy!

— Anytime, Netty.

Marinette took the opportunity to chat a little more with her beloved big brother and then hung up.

— Marinette... Don't you think you've overreacted a little bit?

— What are you talking about Tikki?

— Bob Ross and his son didn't say everything you said...

— I just rephrased what they said.

Her friend Kwami looked at her disapprovingly. Marinette just gave her a sorry smile -she was not sorry at all-.

Tikki was right... Sending Timmy against Bob Ross might have been a little extreme. But in her defense, if she had told Jason, Cass or Damian, the guy and his son would be dead! As for Dick or his father, they would have flown to Paris to attack the man! The last thing she needed was to confront a akumatized family member!

Tim was the most... "nice" solution - that was completely wrong, her brother was going to ruin the guy, death would be sweet by comparison, but that, Tikki didn't need to know-.

A few days later, XY's name was so tainted that the boy had to stop his career. As for Bob Ross... he lost his entire fortune overnight, not to mention the many lawsuits that were piling up because of former victims who came out of silence.

You'd think the music industry wasn't completely eating out of his hand as he claimed...

Now there was one last thing to do.

-XxxX-

— H-Hi L-Luka...

— Hey, Marinette. Did you want to talk to me?

— Yes... Mmmh... But not here...

— Uh… All right.

Marinette took him to Sabine and Tom's. Then she tells him the whole truth about herself. Her true identity, her origins... and her role as "Netty Wayne". But she hid her identity as LadyBird and her identity as Ladybug. 

— I-I wanted to tell you because you... You deserve to know the truth, Luka. I'm not a sincere person... I'm not a pure person, I'm not nice or even honest. I always hide who I am, I spend my life playing roles... I'm not Marinette Wayne, I'm not Marinette Al Ghul, I'm not Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I'm just... **nobody.**

Marinette looked down to look at her feet. She heard a laugh that made her raise her head.

— You know... For someone who’s not honest, I think you make a lot of effort to tell me the truth...

The brunette blushed furiously.

— T-This... it has nothing to do with it!

— On the contrary, Marinette... you're nice. You always do everything for other people Marinette, you'd rather get hurt than hurt someone else... You're willing to sacrifice yourself if it means the ones you love are safe. You're right, you're not a Wayne, not an Al Ghul, you're not a Dupain-Cheng. **_You're Marinette._** And it's Marinette who produces the most beautiful and sweetest melody I've ever heard in my life. 

The little heroine was inventing a new shade of red. She could see Tikki watching them with sparkling eyes.

— Marinette, if you allow me, I would like... for you and I to be more than friends. Will you be my girlfriend?

The brunette nodded her head to signify her agreement. She couldn't make a sound at all. The only thing that was certain was that at that very moment... 

**Marinette was happy to be alive.**

-XxxX-

"Hello everyone! This is Netty Wayne! Today I have a very special guest with me. This is Lucario!”

A young man with white hair appeared next to Netty. He was wearing a raven mask that covered his eyes and nose.

— Hello, I'm Lucario. _Enchanté_!

— From today Lucario will help me with the blog as an assistant.

— That's right! And today we're going to talk to you about a subject that we care about, **plagiarism.**

Once the video was posted, Netty had the satisfaction of seeing that Lucario was very much appreciated by her fan community. A lot of people were asking to know more about her new partner.

Also, Marinette had fun making a live "FAQ" video, where together they answered questions from fans.

Their complicity didn’t go unnoticed. Soon the hashtag "#Lukanette" became the most retweeted by the Netty community.

Then... A new hero appeared alongside Team Miraculous, led by Ladybug.

********************************

* _Superman_ vol.5 #6

***********************************

** Bonus 1: **

Chat Noir, Bunnix, Pegasus, Fox, Monkey King and Queen Bee had made tremendous progress since the beginning of their training. They made fewer mistakes, were more focused and more effective in combat. Viperion, the newest recruit, was also a fast learner. He hadn't yet reached the level of Chat Noir and the others, but it wouldn't be long before he did.

However, Ladybug was well aware that Hawk Moth had also noticed. The akumas he was sending were becoming more and more dangerous and thoughtful. Marinette had a very bad feeling about this. To win this war, she was going to need soldiers.

That's why she called on someone she was sure would be discreet and who knew how to manage her emotions.

And most of all, who will keep her secret.

— Netty.

— Cass.

— Help?

— That's it... I need you to come to Paris. No one should know, it will be a secret between you and me.

— Ok. 

It was time to move on to the next stage of training.

** Bonus 2: **

— Hello?

— Hi Zay-Zay! You're okay?

— Yes... Very well.

— Are you busy right now? I need you... it's quite urgent.

— I thought you left the field, Marinette.

— I did, Zatanna... At least in Gotham.

— Okay _Baby-Bat_... What did you do?

— It's hard to explain over the phone. Do you think you can come to Paris? And be, like, _extremely discreet_?

— I'll see what I can do.

It's about time Master Fu socialized with other magicians...


	9. Resolution!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How's Ladybug doing as a leader?

Marinette was happy to know Zatanna.

The young magician and Master Fu had found a way to create magical barriers that prevented Hawk Moth from feeling negative emotions.

These barriers took the form of objects.

This was very practical, when we knew that the holder of the ladybug miraculous had problems with emotional management.

_I wish I had Dick's strength of character... At least he can keep a smile on his face despite the crises..._

Even better, each miraculous holder had their own style of jewelry. It was true that it could be said that in this case, their identity would be compromised, but this was not the case. Indeed, it was Master Fu who was in charge of giving the famous jewels to each "chosen".

Marinette now constantly had a pink bracelet on her wrist.

Chat Noir, aka Adrien, now wore a beautiful silver necklace, in the shape of a ladybug, all the time. -Yes, Adrien clearly wasn't subtle, at least that was Marinette's opinion-

Alix, who had the rabbit miraculous, was wearing an earring.

Pegasus, alias Max, wore a watch on his wrist constantly.

Kim wore a sports armband on his wrist at all times.

Chloe chose to wear it as an eye shadow... why not...

Fox, a.k.a. Nathaniel, had just like Marinette chose to wear a bracelet.

Luka had chosen to wear a necklace, just like Adrien, except that his was a Jagged Stone figure.

Exceptionally, Marinette was not in middle high school. Her mood was low. As a result, Tom and Sabine agreed to let her stay with them. Anyway, Marinette was the best student in her middle school. Missing a day or two wouldn't change anything in her life.

_Thank you, Talia, for giving me such a complete education..._

That's how she found herself working on the case of Hawk Moth in her lair.

Thanks to Alfred, Marinette had been able to discreetly order everything she needed for the construction of a suitable hiding place. The place in question was located under the building where Master Fu lived. A building that Marinette bought using the name of the Master. The old man was by the way now the only inhabitant of the building...

_Thank you, Al, for always being there when we need you most..._

Yeah, when Marinette had a project in mind, it could take some exaggerated proportions.

The brunette had laid out the basement in such a way that it looked like the "bat-cave". There were three surveillance screens. The computer she was using had a program similar to the one used by Oracle. Marinette had no problem hacking into the city's security system. So she had access to all the surveillance cameras in Paris, and much more...

_Thank you, Babs, for teaching me computer skills..._

There was also an area set up for training, in which there were several sports materials. A secret room known only by Marinette where she stored absolutely all her old LadyBird equipment.

_Thank you, Jason, for teaching me the importance of having a good hiding place for our equipment..._

During those few months, Batman's daughter hadn't done anything halfway. She had also used the magic barriers to create a security perimeter... Indeed, by analyzing all the akumatizations, their locations, times and frequencies, the teenager had been able to establish that the "comfort zone" of Hawk Moth was located around the Françoise Dupont middle school, within a radius of about 5km around the school.

_Thank you, Cass, for teaching me to be attentive to every detail..._

Marinette had placed a magical barrier in this area. If one day Hawk Moth came out of his hiding place, he would be trapped in this area and could not leave it.

Secondly, Marinette had established a beginning profile of the villain, based on the property of his Miraculous, as well as on his choice of victims, his " operational style".

The brunette had concluded that he was probably an adult male, Caucasian. The man should be between 30 and 40 years old, manic, arrogant and tyrannical. He was also likely to be a charismatic, manipulative person. In addition, this man had easy access to money, or was a rich man. Indeed, given the frequency of attacks, he was a person who could afford not to work for a long time without arousing suspicion.

_Thank you, Timmy, for teaching me how to be a detective..._

Based on this profile, Marinette had meticulously compiled a list of potential suspects. It was a long and tedious job...

But it was a job that had the merit of keeping her mind occupied. Lately, Marinette had been going on a series of crazy things. Starting by joining different clubs, then going through her nonsense online with her videos...

All this was actually hiding a deeper discomfort.

Marinette was torn between her desire to be reunited with her family and her desire to stay in Paris... **forever**. 

_I wish I had your honesty, Damian..._

She missed her family very much.

She could have told her family about it. If Batman was involved, then this matter would be settled quickly.

Unfortunately, she had promised Master Fu that she wouldn't talk about it... The old man had already made a lot of concessions... He reluctantly agreed to let her form a team, he let her talk to her guardians, he agreed to meet with Zatanna...

Poor Wang was so paranoid about the Miraculous that he had completely isolated himself from the rest of the world. -That's why the old man didn't even know, that her sister Cass had come to coach the team... The teenage girl had managed to get Tikki to keep the secret... –

_Thank you, Duke, Steph, for teaching me the importance of respecting the feelings of others... For showing me what "being human" means..._

Nevertheless... She also had this wish, this desire... Marinette wanted to see if she was capable of charting her own path, alone, without the shadow of her family on her back.

_I'd like to be free... like Jon when he flies in the sky..._

His thoughts wandered again. She thought of Batman.

Marinette loved her father very much. Bruce Wayne was a good man. He may have many imperfections, but who didn't?

Batman was...more complicated.

For Marinette, Bruce and Batman were two different people.

He, too, had a penchant for philanthropy. However, the successive losses directly related to his war on crime had left profound scars on him.

Since she had been in France, the brunette had had time to think a lot about her own life, and that of her family.

She had concluded that everyone in the family was in serious need of therapy... The young girl was far from being the only one with problems of emotional management, paranoia and problems of lack of self-confidence.

Yet everyone continued to struggle, everyone continued to live. In spite of the wounds, in spite of the disappointments, in spite of the sadness, in spite of the loneliness... And all this was only possible because there was a pillar in the family.

Her father. (And Alfred...)

_Thank you, Father, for teaching me perseverance._

An alarm sounds in the basement.

There was an akuma attack.

Marinette sighed.

— Come on Tikki, we have work to do.

Little Kwami, who had been eating a cake that Sabine and Tom had made for her all this time, joined her.

As she was transforming, a last thought crossed her mind.

_Thank you Sandra Wu-San, for teaching me how to fight._

-XxxX-

Being the daughter of a vigilante had its perks. She was aware of the dangerousness of her "job". Alas, the same could not be said of her partners.

She sometimes wanted to murder them.

Chat Noir was an energetic, brash person, always in a good mood. He had learned how to fight, was efficient on the field and above all, obeyed her to the letter.

But damn, what a big heavyweight he was!

He tried to flirt with her whenever he had the chance.

And it wasn't for lack of having already told her that she already had someone.

The brat tried to give her a hand kiss whenever he could, invaded her personal space, made lame jokes!

Jokes like "paw-some", "cats always land on their paws", "cats have nine lives", "meow a serenade" ...

**ARGH!**

Marinette finally snapped when Nino and Alya were akumatized in Oblivio. For some reason, which the teenager totally ignored, she ended up kissing Chat Noir...

— Alya? if I recall correctly. I'm going to ask you to erase that right now.

— What?! But why?! This is the scoop of the century! I'm so glad my ship is real!

— You see my Lady? We belong together, you're the only one who doesn't see it.

Marinette felt her blood boil in her veins.

— What language should I tell you in? I'M ALREADY IN A RELATIONSHIP! When someone says no, it means **NO**! And you Miss Césaire, I hope you are aware that I was under the influence of an akuma, and that consequently I was not in control of my actions. This picture can ruin my private life. So I ask you a second time. Can you please erase it?

— Y-Yes, s-sure... Can I... get an interview?

— No, you can't have an interview. I'm sorry.

As soon as Marinette got home, the first thing she did was to hack into Alya's phone to erase the picture herself. Her classmate didn't do it.

Alya was a great girl, self-confident, a big comic book fan, energetic, and especially funny. On the other hand, she was the kind of person who acted before thinking and was too impulsive. Since the beginning of the year she had created a blog called "Ladyblog", which was meant to be informative.

The idea had been interesting, if only Alya had a minimum of survival instinct.

She had voluntarily put herself in danger several times, just to have an interview with her, or to film the loan action. As a Ladybug, Marinette had to yell at her, after the miss was taken hostage by Alix's brother who was akumatized as "Pharaoh". If she hadn't been so dumb, she wouldn't have been caught. To make things worse, Alya had found her history book and was ready to read the name that was in it to publish it on her damn blog!

— I've had enough, Miss Césaire! You're putting yourself in constant danger! Chat Noir and I have better things to do than babysit you!

— But Ladybug I...

— And while I'm at it, give me back the book you took from me. It belongs to an acquaintance of mine. Do you realize that? If you had read the name inside and published it on your blog, my friend would have been in danger! Worse, her family would have been targeted!

— I-I'm so sorry... I... I didn't think of that.

Alya had a really good heart. She was definitely a good girl. She'd undoubtedly make a good holder one day, but for now, she was far too untrustable for that.

As for Chat Noir, he ignored her for several days. Then they finally talked it over calmly...

The blonde ends up apologizing for his behavior. She apologized for raising her voice.

**They were now friends, and only friends.**

Chat Noir wasn't the only one giving her a hard time.

**Queen Bee was also a tough nut to crack.**

Marinette had learned to like and appreciate Chloe. However, she hadn't chosen her as a holder. The brunette had lost the box of the bee Miraculous during a fight - she wanted to give it to Alix -, and Chloe was the one who found it. The blonde had had the good idea to join the battle uninvited. Marinette had then managed to avoid the worst.

She gave Chloe a hell of a sermon after the incident.

However, Marinette had seen that she had been effective. So the brunette decided to give her a second chance, but only if she agreed to train first. The blonde agreed.

Chloe became the first to join the team.

And gosh... what a pain in the ass the blonde could be...

— Queen Bee, we're not movie stars, stop making selfies every time! You shouldn't even have an Instagram account using your hero name!

— But Ladybug! My fans love seeing me!

— Delete the damn app. Hawk Moth could find you using your IP address.

— But…

A simple glance from Ladybug is enough to make the blondie shut up.

The blondie took off her account, not without mumbling a "totally ridiculous" in her beard.

Sometimes she provoked the bad guys...

— This costume is ridiculous, entirely ridiculous!

She was always arguing with Chat Noir…

— I'm Ladybug's favorite, get it through your skull, alley cat!

— Nonsense! I'm her best friend!

In a way, Chloe reminded her of Damian _when he was seven_...

She was the unstable member of the team.

Because all she did was for herself and then out of devotion to Ladybug. Chloe was a selfish person first and foremost. Marinette knew that. Nevertheless, since the blonde had become Queen Bee, Marinette had noticed some changes in her behavior.

Little by little the blonde was changing.

Just for that alone, the brunette did not take away her Miraculous.

She was convinced that people could change for the better.

Later, Alix was the one who joined their hero team. This time as "Bunnix." Marinette needed someone to help her make the right decisions. Someone who had broad enough shoulders to carry secrets and who would be mature enough not to abuse the miraculous of time.

Alix seemed the most natural choice for her.

She was the only member of the group who knew her Ladybug identity (even Luka didn't know). As a result, she also knew the identities of all the other members of the team. The girls then became each other's confidants on this point.

It was easier to carry a heavy burden together.

Even so, Alix also sometimes went off the rails. Especially when the fifth member of the group appeared.

Namely, Monkey King.

He too was another social case.

It was Master Fu who chose him. Marinette that day lost a little patience with her "master".

— Wang... Seriously?! You can't give someone a Miraculous just because they do you a favor! That's absolute nonsense!

— But... Marinette...

— There's no "but" in that!

The poor man had the right to the sermon of the century, in front of a horde of Kwamis all laughing their heads off.

Monkey King and Bunnix spent their lives challenging each other.

She felt like she was seeing Jason and Dick... When these two fought, it often ended up in stupid and dangerous challenges. The worst part was that instead of settling things, the others were throwing fuel on the fire.

Things were no different with her team...

— Bunnix, Monkey King, what the hell are you doing?!

— B-B-Boss... it's... it's not what you think!

— Relax Bug...

— The Eiffel Tower was not made to test bungee jumping! Are you unconscious?! Miraculous were not made to test your suicidal urges!

— My lady, that's not-

— Stay out of this! You're the oldest one here, why didn't you stop them?!

— Well... I...

— I tried to stop them, Ladybug!

— Liar! Don't believe her, my Lady, she even suggested the Eiffel Tower!

— IT'S NOT TRUE!

That night Marinette caught them all with her yo-yo and forced them to write the sentence "I must not play with my miraculous", 200 times. She removed their miraculous for a whole week.

Strangely, no one played with their miraculous in her presence anymore.

They waited until her back was turned...

And as always, they all get caught...

And as always... they were all punished.

Marinette felt like she had adopted children.

Was that what being a parent was all about?

She was three times too young to take care of those kids... They were all older than her too! The brunette was the youngest in her class...

Then Pegasus came.

Marinette needed someone to help her with her Hawk Moth research.

Max was very smart. He was the only member of the team who knew about the secret base. Even Alix didn't know about it. Max and Markoff were invaluable in helping her narrow down the list of suspects.

The boy was mature, smart and loyal.

There was something wrong with him, too. He was using the base to conduct crazy experiments.

Max had already blown up the lab in the basement 128 times...

**128 _fucking_ times.**

— Max... you can't just fuck the laws of physics however you want!

— But Ladybug... I-

— NO! The laboratory is not a playground!

Not to mention Markoff's little brothers who were starting to multiply...

— Max... what are you trying to accomplish?

— They're useful for base protection!

—A talking popcorn dispenser? A singing broom? Spring-loaded shoes? Goggles with wipers? Yeah, the base is absolutely safe with all that.

— …

Then there was Fox... at first, you'd think he was the quietest guy in the world. After all, Nathaniel was an extremely quiet, shy and seemingly insecure person.

**Big joke ever.**

He played tricks on everyone and made someone else take the blame! This little prick literally caused disasters! He was like Adrien... When he had a Miraculous, the little guy would let loose completely. He would change his personality; it was almost frightening...

— Fox.

— Ladybug.

— You'll do 100 more push-ups.

— What?! But why would I do that?!

— I know you're the one who ate the last piece of Monkey King cake at the picnic earlier.

— You have no proof!

Ladybug showed him her yo-yo. On the videotape, it was clear that it was Fox who ate Monkey King's cake.

The fox could only keep quiet.

At last came Luka, aka Viperion. The only member of this team who helped her keep order...

Both sometimes felt like they were playing “house”.

Now that she had become a leader... Marinette had a better understanding of why Batman was stressed all the time.

The poor Dark Knight's life was a living hell. She and her siblings weren't the easiest kids in the world to live with...

-XxxX-

Netty was alone in her room, busy doing two photo montages, one with her father and the other with Alfred.

The montage for Bruce was a compilation of all the nonsense that Marinette and the others had already done in the Manor.

At the end, it was written "And yet, he still loves us... Thanks Papa <3".

The editing for Alfred was a little different. It showed everything that good old butler did for the family. At the end, it said, "Because we all need an Alfred in our lives, thanks for everything, Grandpa <3."

She made a video with these montages and posted it on her blog.

Several hours later, on her way to bed, she received a message from Damian.

There was a picture of Alfred wiping his face with a handkerchief.

"Pennyworth cried when he saw the video.”

She later learned from Steph that she had caught Bruce watching the video on a loop. According to Tim, he had a copy on his cellphone...

Marinette smiles softly...

She loved them so much.

The brunette had gone through her ups and downs, but now she was sure of her choices...

Paris had become her city, her home, her life.

**She was proud, she had confidence in her abilities, she was Marinette.**

* * *

** Bonus 1: **

Marinette was in the middle of a video call with Damian. She was telling him about her new partner in fencing class.

— I'm telling you, Damian! That girl could give you a hard time!

— Tt, that's impossible.

— Yes, it is, I'm telling you! Besides, she's from the Tsurugi family, they're the best fencers in the world and-

— MARINETTE, LUKA'S HERE!

The brunette's reaction was immediate. Her eyes lit up, her cheeks suddenly turned pink and a huge smile appeared on her face.

— Sorry Dami, I'll call you later, bye!

** Bonus 2:  **

It was time for the family dinner at the Wayne's. Absolutely the entire family was there. After all, Kori was pregnant and the whole family wanted to celebrate.

In the middle of the meal, while everyone was talking happily, Damian decided to speak up.

— **Marinette have a boyfriend.**

Damian then continued to eat as if nothing had happened.

There was an immense silence in the room.

 **He** , Damian Wayne trying to start a war?

Absolutely not.

He didn't miss his sister at all and he wasn't looking for an excuse to bring her back to the Manor.

Not at all.

He was just a brother who cared deeply for his sister's welfare.

**And if this news triggered the apocalypse in the family, it wasn't his fault!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, Chloe's identity hasn't been released.


	10. Baby bird return to her nest [Part 1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The once lost bird returns once again to its little nest.

Marinette had been very lucky. Thanks to a special day at her middle school, she had the opportunity to meet her idol! She even had the privilege of making him glasses in the design of the Eiffel Tower.

The brunette was over the moon!

She couldn't help but try to meet him as Netty. And the most beautiful part of the story?

Well, Jagged Stone was a fan of hers! He was following her blog!

It was the happiest day of her life!

"I MET JAGGED STONE !!!"

That was the title of the article that Netty Wayne had just posted on her blog.

There were also pictures of the teenage girl with the artist. There was even a picture with Bridgette taking a nap curled up on Fang's head!

In some of the pictures, Lukario was also present.

The young lady then sent photos to her family members privately, to show them that she had got autographs for everyone.

Contrary to usual, Marinette received no response from her family. It was a bit strange, but the young lady quickly got over it.

She was going to be late for her fencing class.

-XxxX-

Time went by very quickly. It was already the end of the school year.

Marinette was going to go to the ninth grade, with the best grades in the class and as the best student in the middle school.

The brunette was very proud. To celebrate the news, Sabine and Tom had baked a beautiful cake. She had the pleasure of meeting Gina, Tom's mother. Sabine's uncle, the famous cook Wang Cheng, was also present.

With this little party, a new period was announced: the school holidays.

-XxxX-

Later that day, as Marinette was getting ready to go to Kim's swim competition, she received a call.

— Steph... what do you want?

— What kind of cold reception is that?

— You never call me. Except when you want me to mess with Tim's schedule or complain about Tim... or father...

— I am deeply shocked by this statement!

— Steph, I'm busy, I have an appointment in a few minutes, so if you have nothing to say to me, I-

— A date? It wouldn't be with your new little partner, what's his name?

— Lucario. And no, it has nothing to do with him. A friend of mine from middle school has a big competition today.

— He seems pretty cute, this little Lucario, you seem very close...

— Steph... Seriously, what do you want from me?

— Let's say... A little birdie told me that you were seeing someone right now. So-

— You're the last person I want to tell my life to.

— So it's true?!

— Bye, Steph.

The blonde tried to call her back, but Marinette royally ignored her calls.

The blonde wasn't the only one to tell her about Luka, it seemed like everyone in her family had gotten the word out.

Everyone except Damian...

Strangely enough...

In the meantime, the brunette sent everyone away.

She wouldn't let them near Luka, **NEVER**!

However, everyone seemed to have given each other the word. She should have known that Steph was just a prelude. Everyone started calling her to find out more about this famous "Lucario".

First Jason.

— No, Jason, I'm not giving you his number.

— Why not? I just want to get to know him...

— What you want most of all is to interrogate him.

— Sooooooo... You're really in a relationship with... this guy...

— ARGH!

Then it was Tim.

— A musician with a gothic look really? I know you're a fan of Jagged Stone, but from there to trying to date his look-alike...

— I don't know whether to laugh or be offended.

— He still has an interesting life... Are you sure he's not Jagged Stone's secret son? His mother was Jagged's guitarist for a long time, though.

— Tim... Have you seriously been looking into a friend of mine?

— _Friend_ huh... interesting choice of words.

— …

Then Dick.

— Did you ever have _the talk_ with Bruce? It's important to protect yourself Mari... Then are you sure about this? He looks like a delinquent to me... He's older than you are!

— I don't want to have _this_ _conversation_ with Father, it would be too humiliating! And damn it, Dick, you're the last person I want to have a sex talk with!

Then Cass...

— Snake boy is nice. I approve.

— You're too knowledgeable for my taste...

Then her father.

— Darling, you-

— NO!

— I haven't said anything yet.

— And I want to keep it that way!

— But, it's important, honey, you must learn-

— NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Finally, when she realized that even Alfred was calling her, Marinette decided that too much was too much!

-XxxX-

That same night.

It was late, Ladybug had called everyone in for a summit meeting. The meeting took place on top of a building on the outskirts of Paris, a long way from Hawk Moth's perimeter.

The goal now was to let everyone know about her research with Max. She was going to need everyone's ears and eyes to unmask Hawk Moth.

Everyone was impressed by their work.

The insect hunt would soon come to an end.

But before that...

— I have to tell you one last important thing.

There was a great silence.

— I won't be able to be Ladybug for a while. I-

— WHAT?!

— But why?!

— Shhh... Queen, Chat, let her finish.

— Thank you, Viperion. So, as I was saying, I can no longer be Ladybug. I happen to be in France for my studies, but I'm not French. During the school holidays, I'm going to have to go back to my country.

— Oh... You're not French? Then where are you from?

— How are we going to do without Ladybug? You’re the only one who can purify the Akuma, isn't it?

— Sorry King, I can't answer that question. Excellent point, Pegasus, as always. To answer your question, I have created with the help of the Guardian and another ally, a system that will allow you to capture the akumas. When I return, I will purify them.

— Wouldn't it be easier to entrust the ladybug Miraculous to someone else?

— You're right, Fox, it would be easier. But the Guardian refused that option. He's the one who will guard my ladybug miraculous for the duration of my voyage. Are there any more questions?

No one spoke any more.

— Good. While I'm gone, Viperion and Bunnix will be in charge of the group. If anything goes wrong, the Guardian will come for me. But I doubt that will be necessary. I know you're more than capable of handling yourself on the field.

Marinette then showed them the famous device to capture the Akuma. It was a pistol. At the touch of a button, it sucked out the butterfly. The inside of the gun contained a tank with magical walls. So even if the akuma was sucked in, it would not "akumatize" the owner of the gun. Also, once inside, the butterfly could not get out.

— Above all, I want you to be very careful with this device. It must not be retrieved by Hawk Moth. Don't play with it, don't make stupid experiments with it. Do you understand me?

— **YES BOSS!**

— Don't call me Boss!

-XxxX-

Marinette found herself on a jet headed for the United States.

Initially, she had planned to take a normal plane... It was more economical and ecological.

Since there was no direct flight to Gotham... So she would have had to make a stopover in New York and then take the train to Gotham. Knowing that the flight from Paris to New York would take about 12 hours and then the train trip would be 6 hours... She had a total of 18 hours of travel time.

Her suitcase wasn't very big, so for transportation it wouldn't really be a problem. The only real problem was that she was traveling with Bridgette. But the little bunny was used to traveling... so normally everything should be fine.

The brunette had just forgotten she was a rich man's daughter.

So, when she told her father she wanted to go home for the holidays, her father said he'd send the jet to pick her up.

Well, why not...

Time went by very quickly. Marinette spent much of her time working on the Hawk Moth case, while watching Bridgette hop around. The advantage of having a jet was that at least little Bridgette could stretch her legs without bothering anyone.

When Marinette finally arrived and her feet touched the ground... A strange feeling overcame her. She stood still for a long time.

Then she started walking again.

The more she moved forward, the more this strange feeling grew.

Her heart was beating very fast.

She quickened her pace.

Her eyes stung.

She got past security.

Then finally, she reached the lobby.

Her father was there. He was looking at something on his phone. Then she whispered softly.

— Father...

She stepped forward slowly. Her heart was beating harder and harder.

Finally her father looked up and saw her. Their eyes met.

He smiled at her.

She could no longer hold on.

The brunette let go of her suitcase and started to run, then she jumped on her father's neck.

— Papa… Papa… Papa…

His father caught him practically in midair. He held her tightly against him.

— Welcome home, sweetheart…

Her tears were flowing in abundance.

This feeling that had grown inside her.

**It was simply pure happiness.**

-XxxX-

Marinette hopped to the car. As soon as she saw Alfred, she also jumped into his arms.

— ALLLLFIIIII!

— Ooooohhhh......... Holy Christ!

The butler also hugged her for a long time. Her father, who in the meantime had managed to catch Bridgette (she had escaped from her transport box and was having fun walking around the airport), watched the scene, amused.

— I'm glad to see you're doing well, _mademoiselle_. You look very well.

— Thank you, Al.

The way to the Manor was rocked by a very talkative Marinette.

As soon as she arrived, Marinette was greeted by an overexcited Titus. The dog jumped on her, squeaking and wagging his tail.

Unsurprisingly, the brunette noticed that the Manor hadn't really changed.

When Damian pointed his nose, he was almost attacked by Marinette, who jumped on his neck.

— DAMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII !

— Tt, still as noisy as ever.

Damian let it happen. He even patted her back a little.

She was happy to run around the Manor, seeing with joy that her house hadn't really changed.

In the evening, Tim was greeted by an octopus called Marinette. He was happy to hold his precious little sister in his arms for a while.

***************************************

** Bonus 1 ** **:**

(This bonus is a reference to Bonus 2 in Chapter 4)

Marinette 12, Jon 11.

Marinette was at the Kent house for the weekend, Batman was away on a mission with Damian. Tim was busy, Jason wasn't there, Alfred was very sick... In other words, there was no one to "babysit" her.

The brunette was getting to know Jon's friends... They were playing truth or dare. During the game, Jon had the good idea to ask for action.

— So, you have to give a kiss on the mouth to the person on your right!

Jon turned pale. Marinette raised an eyebrow. Indeed, she was the person sitting to Jon's right.

Seeing her friend's hesitation, Marinette grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt and smacked him on the mouth.

Jon became redder than a tomato.

Marinette looked at the others with a completely neutral expression.

— That was it. Who's next?

Without Marinette understanding why, everyone looked at her blushing. The blonde girl in the group (her first name was Kathy?) looked at her as if she was ready to gut her.

Had she done something wrong?

Marinette 13 years old, Jon 17 years old.

Marinette was talking on the phone with her friend Jon.

— Jon... remember that game we played at your grandparents' house?

— Uh... Yeah, why?

— That day... I stole your first kiss, didn't I? I'm sorry.

Jon felt his cheeks burning.

— It's okay, don't worry...

Now that he was much older, and Mari was finally starting to understand a little more about human feelings... It wasn't the time to tell her that he had _a crush_ on her when he was younger, right?

** Bonus 2:  **

Vicki Vale was a journalist with strong convictions.

She had recently arrived in Paris to follow in the footsteps of Netty Wayne.

She was very surprised when she discovered that Paris was under threat from a terrorist. Even more surprising, the inhabitants and the mayor let a bunch of kids take care of their protection...

Interesting.

While browsing the internet, she realized that there was almost no information about these young heroes.

The young woman smiled sarcastically.

If she could find out who these young people were... Then her career would be boosted!

Netty Wayne could wait.

She had a bug to stalk.

— Hello, sir, yes, it's me. I think I've found “ _the scoop_ ” here in Paris. I'll stay here a little longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes:  
> Yes you have the right to hate me!  
> It so happens that I hesitated for a long time between Luka x Marinette and Jon x Marinette... I finally chose Lukanette ! But I wanted to make you suffer with me xD  
> Otherwise, currently Jon no longer has any romantic feelings for Marinette, she has become his little sister. Marinette has brotherly feelings for him.


	11. Life without Netty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened during Marinette's absence? The brunette doesn't know... But, if Bruce sent her to Paris, it wasn't only because of her depression...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Marinette moved to Paris in mid-June. Which means that at this point in the story, it's been a year since she became a Parisian. So she's 14 years old now.

Some events in life marked more than others. Unfortunately, Superman had seen a lot of horror in his life... He had seen many of his friends suffer terrible loss. Even himself had suffered a number of bad experiences... 

And now another terrible experience was about to be added to his list.

He'd already seen Batman devastated...

One event in particular had hurt him enormously and driven him almost insane: the death of Jason, the second Robin.

Tonight, the Man of Steel was sure he was witness to another event that would undoubtedly shatter Batman.

The Kryptonian was sure that he was going to keep this horrible image in his mind for a very long time. Maybe even his entire life.

He'll never forget the desperate cries of little Marinette when she came to her senses.

_"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."_

Superman was sure that her screams and tears had left their mark on everyone... He felt particularly moved by the event. Marinette was like a daughter to him. She was his son's best friend, barely a year older than Jon.

Mari had visited them a lot.

Clark was even sure that at this point, Lois was already collecting decorations for a future wedding between Jon and Mari... He too had noticed that Jon had a little crush on Bruce's daughter. He understood that. The little girl had quite a temper, but she was adorable in her own way. In any case, Lois seemed to already consider her as their future daughter-in-law.

Who would have thought, that he would now find himself in front of his computer tried to write an article to defend LadyBird's honor.

Indeed, since the incident, many people wanted LadyBird to be brought to justice.

Unfortunately, she had also taken the lives of many innocent people. It was absolutely not her fault, but instead that of the Joker and Scarecrow.

Unfortunately, not everyone saw things the same way...

And now JL's detractors were using this incident to question their existence.

Marinette really didn't deserve this.

-XxxX-

Bruce was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

He didn't know what to do to help Marinette. He wasn't even sure if he could help his Princess...

Marinette was getting worse and worse...

To make things worse, there was this completely unfounded debate about LadyBird's actions. She was just a child! She had nothing to do with it!

Mari had made extraordinary progress since her arrival at the Manor. He was the first to admit it. Marinette was doing absolutely everything she could to change.

And it took the Joker and Scarecrow to ruin all her efforts.

**Joker.**

Bruce had already almost killed the clown when he went after Jason. If it wasn't for Clark, he would've hung up his Batman coat by now.

**But this time...**

He shook his head several times, then pinched his nose with his hand.

This was not the time to be thinking like that.

For the moment, the only thing that mattered was Mari's health. She shouldn't have to find out what had happened. If his daughter discovered the extent of the damage she'd actually done while under the Joker's control...

**She won't survive it.**

While he was in the middle of thinking. He received an unexpected phone call. On the screen of his phone appeared the first name "Sabine". It was a young woman who had once been a member of a criminal organization, but who fortunately had since repented. He had helped her change her life. The young woman had married a baker's son named Tom Dupain. A good man.

— Hello?

— Hello Bruce, I'm not disturbing you?

— No, how are you?

— I'm great! I wanted to check something with you... Tom and I are thinking about adopting a child, I was wondering if you'd be willing to be his godfather?

— Adopt a child...

— Yes! We've done everything we can... We just have to keep our fingers crossed.

At that moment, an idea sprang into his mind.

— Sabine... I have a favor to ask you.

— You do? What is it?

He quickly explained the situation with Marinette.

— It's a complicated situation. I suppose you'd like me to keep her until this whole scandal goes away.

— Yes, but also-

— You want me to help her through this trauma, since we have a similar history.

— Indeed.

— You can count on me.

**Marinette left U.S. soil the following week.**

-XxxX-

**A week after Marinette was gone.**

Tim was staring at his screen in complete absence. Several contradictory feelings were influencing his mind.

Anger.

Hate.

Frustration.

Sadness.

Relief.

Loneliness.

Rationally, he knew Bruce had taken the best course of action. Jason himself had approved of their "father's" decision.

It was the right thing to do… Get Mari away from this unhealthy environment.

If she had stayed... Like him, Jason feared the worst.

But that didn't mean... **accepting it didn't hurt**.

**God... he was in so much pain.**

Tim loved his sister with all his heart.

She'd been the only one who believed him when he announced Bruce was still alive.

— Grayson told me that you thought Bruce was alive. Is that true?

— Why do you care?

— I just want to understand, Timothy. You don't strike me as the kind of person who would make a statement like that without thinking.

— …

— What's up then?

— Let's just say it's a feeling.

— Mmm.

— I guess this is the part where you tell me I'm in denial?

— No, I believe you.

— …

— We live in a strange world Timothy; I don't see why you'd be wrong. I can help you.

Tim was suspicious of her. He genuinely found it hard to believe that Marinette, Damian's twin sister, could believe him.

She had to be hiding something.

Marinette didn't love her biological father. Tim knew that. He even suspected her of seeing Jason as her father instead of Bruce. That brat had no reason to help him bring back someone she hated.

Shit, they barely knew each other!

So he told her to fuck off.

— I don't need your help, demon witch.

Still, she insisted on following him.

Everybody would eventually leave him alone, so why the hell did that kid keep sticking it to him?!

— Seriously, girl, what is wrong with you? Why are you even here? What do you want?

— I don't understand your questions, Timothy.

— Why are you following me? You have absolutely nothing to gain by staying with me. Besides, does Jason know you're with me?

— I just want to help you get Bruce back. And yes, Jay knows I'm with you. Unlike Bruce, Jay doesn't lock people up and pretend to protect them, or some such nonsense.

— That's exactly what I don't get! Why do you want to help me bring back someone you hate?!

— You're acting weird, Timothy. We don't save people because we love them, but because it's a just thing. We don't help people out for attachment or merit, it's simply the right thing to do, isn't it? So, no, I don't understand why you're so anxious to give a meaning to my presence...

— …

That day, he felt like he was getting a slap in the face. Tim decided to give her a chance... After all, she was the one who decided to follow him, and he had nothing to do with it.

**It was a decision he would never regret.**

Marinette became an emotional pillar for him.

How many times had she come to rest with him when he couldn't sleep...

The number of times she forced him to eat...

The times she had forced him to go to sleep, promising to continue the search for him...

The number of troubles he had been able to avoid, because she was also an excellent fighter.

She also told him her story...

— You died 15 times?!

—At least, yeah.

— But how did you...

— Lazarus' pit.

— Mari... It's completely insane...

— Sometimes I feel it... The water from the pit running through my veins, all the emotions are amplified. You don't see the world like everyone else. But that's also why "death" doesn't mean anything to me.

— Mmmm.

They had managed to bring Bruce back _together_.

He had gained a friend, a sister, a partner.

So when she got caught by the Joker... Tim felt like he'd abandoned her.

It never should have happened.

Tim should've taken her with him.

And now the only thing left was a void.

That horrible emptiness he'd felt when his parents died, when Steph died, when Kon died...

It was absurd, Marinette wasn't dead. (And fortunately, he wasn't sure he could bear the death of another member of his family... especially not Netty's.)

His sister had been there for him.

And he had left her all alone.

What kind of brother was he?

He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.

Tim was going to do what Bruce should have done a long time ago.

**The Clown and Scarecrow were going to pay.**

-XxxX-

Robin was in Blüdhaven.

He'd moved to the top of a building. The teenager was looking at the horizon, contemplating.

Since Marinette had left he had spent a lot of time in this town. Especially now that Dick was living in New York with his wife, the city had been abandoned.

He felt responsible for what had happened.

Damian had been unable to protect his sister. Now she was gone.

**Unfortunately, he had a feeling she wasn't coming back.**

Gotham was too bad for her.

He'd come to understand that.

But that didn't mean he'd accepted the idea.

Why should _his sister_ have to pay the price for the crimes of these monsters?

She was innocent.

It wasn't her fault.

**It wasn't fair.**

But maybe... if the monsters responsible for his sister's misery disappeared, then... She wouldn't have any reason to stay in Paris, would she?

Damian took a mask out of his pocket and looked at it for a long time.

— Hey Demon spawn, are you having fun?

— What the hell are you doing here, Hood?

— I just wanted to confirm a theory.

— Tt, go check out your theory somewhere else.

— Don't you even want to know what my theory was?

— No.

— I just wanted to know why I couldn't find my targets...

— **TT**.

A silence settled between them.

— I hope he suffered.

— He begged to be spared.

— As if he had spared Mari.

— Mmm.

— Ah, well, there you are.

Both turned their heads in unison to see Red Robin landed casually beside them.

— What the hell are you doing here, Drake?

— Just testing a theory.

Red Hood suddenly laughed.

Red Robin walked towards them quietly. He then threw something at Hood.

— Here, a gift.

Red Hood grabbed the object. When he saw what it was, he shivered. Then he looked at the young man in front of him. Then laughed again.

It was ironic.

The clown had to go after someone dear to their heart once again, so the family finally decided to do something about it.

Robin moved in closer to them. He still had the mask of Scarecrow in his hand. Red Robin looked at the mask, then looked at Robin. A grin formed on his face.

Silently, Red Hood took a lighter out of his pocket and began to burn the green bow tie in his hands.

The three watched the object burn silently.

Then Robin held out Scarecrow's mask. Hood set it on fire as well.

None of them spoke a word.

This little _incident_ would be the secret between them.

A secret between Robin.

It was a solemn pact among them.

**To protect their sister no matter what the cost.**

* * *

**Bonus:**

Tim realized there was something unusual about the budget allocated to purchase materials for their vigilante activity. It was very subtle. Bruce probably didn't notice it yet because he didn't have the time to deal with it.

By digging a little deeper, he realized that some of the funds were converging somewhere in France.

He started to rummage through the system and realized that everything was abnormally encrypted.

He managed to get into the French security system. He discovered the history of the young heroes of Paris and above all... The fighting style of the young heroine "Ladybug"...

He would recognize these movements anywhere.

A smile formed on his face.

Tim chooses to subtly strengthen the encryption and then falsify the information in the accounts.


	12. Baby bird return to her nest [Part 2]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette, the girl who's never allowed to rest...

Marinette was sincerely happy to be back at the Manor. For the occasion, Alfred had even prepared all her favorite meals!

She had a lot to tell about her life in Paris. In particular, she had many stories about the difference in culture between the two countries.

For example, that her accent was almost non-existent, so when she made basic French errors in her speech, people tended to stare at her. Most of the time it was mistakes about the “ _gender_ ” of the items: « **_un_** croissant » and not « **_une_** croissant ».

We said, " _le_ pain”, but we talked about “ _la_ baguette"...

— As if it was my fault that the French language was created by artists of abstract impressionism! And then I don't even talk about words with letters that can't be pronounced, eh? And “ ** _la_ _bise_** ” system too... I still don't understand how this thing works…

The laughter was guaranteed.

Marinette learned that Dick and Kori were expecting their first child. She was happy to hear that she was going to have a little niece.

The first baby in the family...

At the end of the meal, Marinette could finally go to her room to rest. Well, she would have liked to do so, if her room wasn't full of cardboard! It was at that moment that Tim chose to tell her a little detail.

— Timmy... Why is there so much cardboard in my room?

— Oh, right... I forgot about that little detail...

— _Little detail_? I can't even see my bed! What's this?

— Mmm... Let's sit down. I'll explain later.

The two of them managed to find a little corner in the room that hadn't been overrun with boxes.

— In fact, the boxes were received from various clothing, perfume and other brands that would like to make "Netty Wayne" a brand.

— Huh? Say that again, I must have misunderstood...

— Mari, you probably didn't realize this, but a lot of people follow your blog. You've become a fashion reference...

— WHAT?! WHEN?! HOW?! WHY?!

— Well, you have fun posting everything you buy, commenting on products, recommending places in Paris, or even here in Gotham... You show off your creations...

— Mmm... I'm basically reduced to a “ _beauty youtuber_ ”...

— Ahahahahahaha, that's one way of looking at it.

— So, are these boxes brands that want me to be their ambassador or something?

— Exactly.

— I see...

There was a silence between them. Marinette was trying to integrate the information. The brunette couldn't get along at all with the news... But one question puzzled her.

— When did you get these boxes?

— You know, I found out not too long ago.

— Since when, Timothy?

Tim sighed.

— From what I understand, it all started after the gala presentation.

— The gala presentation?! That was over a year ago!

— I know, Mari, I swear I didn't know about it.

— I believe you Timmy. It's just that sometimes I wish Father wasn't so paranoid...

— We all do. Anyway, now that you know, what do you say?

— Well, I'll think about it...

Marinette talked to her father about it. The latter simply did not want to expose Marinette to the general public, while she was finally finding a balance in her life. He intended to tell her, but then there was the incident with the Joker... Her father wanted her to devote herself entirely to her recovery. But now that she was feeling much better, he felt it was time for her to choose what she wanted to do.

If he knew that Marinette had actually spent her time fighting a psychopathic guy dressed as a butterfly...

Marinette finally decided to give it a shot.

She was happy, her dream of becoming a future stylist now seemed fully attainable!

Alas for the brunette, her life could never be that simple.

-XxxX-

**Paris early afternoon.**

**Viperion wanted to scream.**

Hawk Moth now had in his possession one of Akuma's capture pistols and a protective object (an armband... seriously?), supposed to protect them from the villain.

And all because of that bi-... That Queen Bee plague!

How the hell did Ladybug deal with everybody?

To think he was gonna have to put up with those kids for a whole month.

He'd been trying to channel the rest of the team for two weeks, but everyone was just doing what they wanted. With Ladybug's absence, they had loosened up, as if their leader's absence would mysteriously make Hawk Moth disappear. They didn't feel like patrolling at night anymore, didn't follow their training as before, kept making their bets among themselves...

**They didn't take their role seriously.**

To make things worse, they were being hunted down by a reporter from a foreign country.

This woman had understood that Queen Bee had an ego as big as her stupidity (yes, Viperion was angry). The woman complimented her every time she intervened, and the stupid bee drank her words as if they were nectar!

Ladybug had always forbidden them to talk to journalists, they had orders to run away from them.

_"Not all journalists have professional ethics. Some are just looking for a scoop and don't think about the consequences of their actions. Besides, the less Hawk Moth knows about us, the better off we'll be.”_

Ladybug always said it was for their safety.

Now he could clearly see why.

And certainly the other little cretins too realized that Ladybug's bans were not there to annoy them, but to protect them.

Queen Bee had taken advantage of the fact that his back was turned to give an interview to this foreign journalist who was delighted to have everything published in an article.

Result: Now everyone knew that miracle carriers were protected from Hawk Moth, which aroused a mass of anger among Parisians.

This idiot even went so far as to explain how the akuma capture mechanism worked, and of course, revealed to everyone that Ladybug was no longer in town.

Unfortunately, Hawk Moth was following the news very closely.

Here they are in front of an akuma who was tracking down the sources of magic... Which meant that all the holders with their protective gear became a target for the akuma.

It was a real disaster!

It was then discovered that Chloe Bourgeois was a Miraculous holder. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who her alter ego was...

The blonde was kidnapped. She wasn't the only one. Marinette's friend, a red-haired boy he didn't know, was also targeted.

**Hawk Moth planned to capture the heroes in their civilian form and interrogate them afterwards.**

At his side, Bunnix decided to go after Ladybug.

— How can we find her? Only the Master knows where she is, and we don't know who he is! Worse, if we try to find him this Akuma will follow us!

— I know who Ladybug is

— Wait, what?

— I’m the holder of the Time Miraculous...

— I see. I'm counting on you. I'll try to keep the game quiet as long as possible.

-XxxX-

It was about 6:00 in the morning.

Marinette was sleeping when she felt a presence in her room. The young lady immediately went into attack mode and gave the intruder a violent blow.

— **OUCH!** Marinette calm down! It's me!

— Bunnix?!

— We need your help, Paris is in danger!

Marinette didn't waste any time. She ran to her room door and locked it. Then followed Alix down her "burrow".

**30 minutes later.**

— Bye, bye little butterfly.

Ladybug was immediately approached by a journalist. When the young heroine saw who it was, she wanted to scream.

It was Vicki Vale. The woman who had managed to make the teenage girl deeply hate journalists...

What the hell was that witch doing in Paris?!

The woman asked her for an interview.

_Seriously?! The nerve of that woman has no limits?!_

— Thanks to you, two people now will be the target of a terrorist. And you have the nerve to come and ask me for an interview? Why don't you get your work ethic together and then we'll talk.

She didn't give the woman time to answer and left immediately, taking the two captured holders with her. Once alone with the two... and with the other "heroes", Ladybug did not try to hide her anger.

— I don't care how it happened; I don't care who did it. **All of you** \- apart from Viperion - have been _irresponsible_. It's been two weeks. **JUST TWO FUCKING WEEKS**!

They all bowed their heads.

— From now on you'll have no more Miraculous.

— What?! But-

— Huh?! But that's not fair!

— It's an outrage!

— **Shut the hell up**.

— ...

Ladybug retrieved all the miraculous and protective gear, individually of course. None of them dared to rebel against her.

**They all knew _what_ she was capable of.**

She had to go to Master Fu, so he could take action.

They knew too much.

Only Viperion remained a permanent holder. Indeed, Luka had been the only one to take his role seriously during Ladybug's absence. All the others had their Miraculous removed, including Chat Noir and Bunnix -who was supposed to help Viperion-, had completely slackened off.

Marinette had made an error in judgment. She won't make the same mistake twice.

The brunette asked one person, to keep the ladybug's Miraculous during her absence: Sabine Dupain-Cheng (which she should have done from the start...). Viperion saw his Miraculous being changed for the Cat's Miraculous. He took the name of "Cat's Eyes" (which was absolutely not a reference to a certain Japanese anime...).

As soon as evening fell, Master Fu went to each holder to erase their memory about everything concerning the Miraculous and their training. At Marinette's request, Master Fu also erased from Alix's memory the memories concerning Marinette's identity as "Netty". Max saw his memories of the Secret Base erased.

The teenager would take care of hacking Markov from a distance.

That’s how Adrien, Chloe, Kim, Alix, Nathaniel and Max forgot they ever had a Miraculous. This did not mean that they would never have a Miraculous in their lives again, but simply that none of them were mature enough to have one.

-XxxX-

When Marinette went back to the Manor, it was almost 10:30 in the morning. Her only chance was that everyone was still sleeping in the house because of a mission that had lasted almost all night the previous evening. So, normally, no one had noticed her absence.

The young lady immediately went to her computer. She had to erase the memory of Markov, Max's little robot, as quickly as possible.

With this fiasco, Marinette was going to have to find new heroes, train them again for combat...

This completely delayed her plans to capture Hawk Moth!

Damn it... What does she do now? She was so close to her goal... She couldn't do everything by herself!

She needed help!

**_But WHO could help her now?!_ **

****

************************************

**Bonus 1:**

**Month of August, France.**

— You have all your stuff, right, sweetie?

— Yes mom, everything is here.

— Wait for me here, I'll pay the taxi.

The lady watched her mother join the driver, who had brought them from the airport to their new home.

It had been long and difficult, but the young girl had achieved what she wanted: to live with her mother.

Well, she must have lied to her mother and told her that her father was abusing her, but hey... The poor woman was so naive, and she wanted custody of her daughter so badly in the divorce, that any excuse she could give was a good one.

Now she was FINALLY away from Italy. She could start a new life, in a new country and in a new middle school.

This time, everything would be different.

This time she wouldn't get caught.

This time she was going to have the life she deserved.

And all it had cost was her parents' divorce!

— Come on Lila, we've got boxes to unpack.

— I'm coming, Mama!

**Bonus 2:**

Marinette couldn't sleep. She was always extremely worried.

The brunette then did something she might regret later. She began researching Scarecrow and the Joker.

She sighed.

_I'm such a masochist._

To her surprise, however, she discovered that Scarecrow had been found dead, and the Joker had disappeared from his cell.

Well...

... _Part_ of the Joker had disappeared...

The clown had "forgotten" to take his body with him on his escape, taking with him _only_ the head...

In other words, the guy was dead.

Marinette felt a shiver run down her spine...

Batman wasn't the perpetrator in either crime. She knew that. He hadn't avenged Jason, who was much closer to him than she had ever been... It wasn't now that her father was going to start a vendetta...

_Please... Tell me Jay didn't do this... He would be able to... Father will never forgive him; he's always been more severe when it comes to Jay..._

Marinette went through all the police reports.

Whoever committed these crimes left no trace.

The brunette decided to snoop around in her father's files using her brother Damian's ID. She suspected that LadyBird no longer had access to the basement and using Tim's name would be suicidal because he would notice it right away... With a bit of luck, it would take Damian a day or two to realize it, or never if she played her cards right.

She had to force her way in a little.

Seeing the investigation her own father had been conducting... Marinette realized, for some unknown reason, that he hadn't gone through with it.

The more she read the report, the harder her heartbeat.

Her father had deliberately chosen to ignore what had happened...

And with good reason...

**...Batman suspected Tim and Damian were behind it.**


	13. Netty Wayne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette is finding it harder and harder to reconcile her life as "Netty" with her duties as a Ladybug. It's time to make a choice...  
> In the shadows... Danger is lurking...

A young boy was looking at his computer screen very intently. His heart was pounding.

**_The Hard Life of a Wayne._ **

That blog was a blessing.

Through it, the teenager had met the love of his life.

**Netty Wayne.**

The new public face of the Wayne family.

Since her return from Europe, Bruce Wayne's only biological daughter had been attending charity galas for the Martha Wayne Foundation. She had also initiated a program to help sick children in hospitals. Netty toured Gotham's street children's aid centers and visited orphanages.

Her mere presence at a party guaranteed its success.

Netty Wayne was a formidable influence.

She had the love of the people of Gotham on her side.

What started out as the stupidity of a temperamental, daddy's-girl teenager had now become the cornerstone of one of Gotham's oldest families' notoriety.

This girl had managed to "humanize" the Wayne. They were no longer just an aristocratic family living outside the real world.

Now, Bruce Wayne was no longer just a carefree, rich playboy... He had the image of a loving father who would do anything for his children. A man who was able to book an entire amusement park just to show his beloved daughter a good time...

Richard John Grayson-Wayne was described as a handsome young man who was just as playboyish as his adoptive father, the charity case of Bruce Wayne. He was now known as a loving older brother who always put his family first. Several pictures of him were circulating to prove it. One of them was a picture of him giving his coat to his little sister so that she wouldn't get wet in the rain, even though he had nothing to protect himself from the rain. Another picture of him showing him offering his dessert to Netty's twin brother.

Jason Peter Todd, Bruce Wayne's second charity case, died for a while and then "resurrected". Long considered a black sheep, he was now the image of independence and success. The young man had his own business as a security guard. Recently graduated. He was the symbol of freedom.

Timothy Jackson Drake-Wayne. The child prodigy. Many would call him a workaholic. The youngest CEO in history. Ever since the Netty Wayne videos came out, Gothamers knew that behind this perfect boy face was a nerd. A fan of science fiction, comic books, and pop culture... He was a role model for a lot of young people. And then everybody knew that Netty had a great affection for him in particular...

Cassandra Cain-Wayne was less well known to the public... She was a refined young woman, but very discreet. By now, everyone knew she was a sensitive, delicate, charming young woman. She was very good at dancing, if we were to believe the recent videos published on Netty's blog.

**The Wayne family was more popular than ever.**

Netty, sweet, nice, perfect. She was the antithesis of her twin brother, Damian Wayne. The latter nicknamed "The Prince of Ice". He was known for his love of the animal cause - and his abhorrent character-. Also, the young Prince was heavily involved in various animal welfare organizations. But he was also a great defender of nature and the environment.

Many said that the two children complemented each other. They were actually a reflection of the different facets of Bruce Wayne. The bond between the two blood children, the undisputed heirs of the Wayne family, was described as perfect.

Netty Wayne would go nowhere without her twin brother... She always wore a smile on her brother's arm... The few times Damian Wayne didn't show up, Timothy Wayne took his place.

Her jovial personality, her exuberant outfits, her kindness, and generosity, meant that from then on, the little Wayne was nicknamed "The Angel of Gotham".

Ever since the blog "The Hard Life of a Wayne" was launched. The biggest question many people were asking was: why was Netty hiding her face?

There were many theories circulating on internet about her. And there was no doubt that whoever could capture the teenage girl's face would become very rich.

Soon he would finally know the face of his beloved. This year, he had managed to convince his parents to let him follow the end of his schooling in Paris... The same city where his dear and sweet Netty lived. In Paris, Netty had no bodyguard, no brothers, no father, and no Wayne family members to keep him away.

He didn't care about being rich.

He wanted Netty Wayne all to himself.

They were meant for each other, and soon... Yes, very soon... she'd find out, too.

-XxxX-

— Master Bruce... Another letter has just arrived.

— Again. Still addressed to the same person?

— I'm afraid so, sir.

Bruce took the letter, annoyed, and began immediately to analyze it. As usual, there was no suspicious trace on the envelope. He opened the letter.

_My dear, sweet Netty,_

_I'm so glad you're back home. I hope this long journey has not fatigued you too much. I want you to know that I've been thinking about you day after day._

_I look forward to your next public appearance, so that I can contemplate the beauty of your soul in person._

_Soon you and I will be reunited._

_Your soulmate._

_W._

Bruce's anger only increased. Not only did this oddball have the audacity to send love letters to his daughter (who was ONLY 14 years old), but he also allowed himself to follow her?!

Marinette was finally happy.

It was out of question that a perverted pedophile would come and ruin his baby's happiness.

— Father, Pennywoth has just informed me that another one of these letters has arrived?

— Indeed.

Bruce handed the letter to Damian, who read it. He clapped his tongue in disgust.

— Father, this can't go on any longer. We should keep Marinette away from the populace.

— I understand how you feel Damian, but we can't lock your sister in the manor for the rest of her life. We can't take "Netty" away from her. Not after...

— TT.

Bruce took his phone. This man was going to be present at the next charity gala, it was the opportunity to capture him. He first made contact with Dick, then with Tim and finally with Jason.

The whole family would be needed for this mission.

Nothing was too much of a stretch when his beloved daughter involved.

He didn't protect her from the Joker.

He'd failed once before.

This time, he won't make the same mistake.

He'll protect Marinette.

He'll protect her smile.

He'll protect her happiness.

No one will touch a single hair on his daughter's head.

-XxxX-

Marinette was attending a charity event. Lately, she's been making a lot of public appearances. This allowed her to keep her mind busy, so that she didn't have to think about the problems that awaited her in Paris...

And as Wayne's corporate ambassador, she had no choice but to play her role as the "Angel of Gotham".

The only thing that bothered her was that lately Damian had been spending his life sticking it to her. Maybe she had neglected her twin a little too much... However, she couldn't help but feel that it wasn't just because he missed her that he was behaving this way with her. For some reason she couldn't understand... Something seemed to be wrong... But what? After all, Damian was the future heir of the Wayne family, it was only natural that he was present at every event related to the company.

**He just didn't need to be around her all the time...**

This gala was special... for once, the whole family was together. Even Dick and Jason were there.

**_Which was not at all suspicious._ **

Maybe they were on a mission.

After all, Marinette hadn't been to the basement once since she arrived. She hadn't tried to catch up on their vigilante activity either... The brunette was too afraid to make a mistake if she started talking about that particular subject. Everyone seemed to interpret this silence as a silent request not to broach the subject. So no one had ever talked about this particular aspect of their lives.

Not once.

As soon as she walked into a room, and they seemed to be talking about a case, immediately they changed the subject.

Why not? It suited her.

Marinette went into her role as Netty Wayne. She had a little speech to give at the beginning of the gala.

— Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to welcome you all. As you may already know, this charity gala is in honor of the _One meal for One smile_ foundation, founded by Prince Ali to fight child hunger around the world. Prince Ali, heir to the kingdom of Kowar, who I think no longer needs to be introduced!

A swarthy-skinned teenager with brown curly hair and green eyes greeted the crowd with a smile.

— I thank you all for your generosity. All that's left for me to do is to wish you all a great evening. Netty Out!

Netty Wayne left at the end of her speech to greet Prince Ali in person. Damian followed her immediately.

— Thank you for your interest in our Foundation, Miss Wayne. Thanks to you, thousands of children will finally have a decent meal.

— It' s me who thank you Prince Ali, it' s thanks to people like you that the world can become a better place every day.

The two young people talked for a while. Netty learned that Prince Ali would soon be going to Paris to collect toys for sick children in hospitals.

— If I'm not mistaken, you' re studying in Paris at the moment?

— That's right! Contact me if you want help with the collection, I'll inform my brother. It would always be more fun to do this work with a friend.

— Friend?

— Yes! If it suits you... You don't have to accep-

— I'd be delighted, Miss Wayne!

— Call me Netty, Prince Ali, there's no need for so much formality. Especially since we'll be partners from now on.

The prince seemed genuinely happy with the way things turned out.

Netty felt sorry for him... The boy really seemed to need company. He reminded her a little of Adrien Agreste, her classmate. Suddenly, she felt extremely happy to be Bruce Wayne's daughter... Her father let her do almost anything she wanted.

Damian at her side watched the scene without saying a word.

_That' s really weird..._

The evening continued. Netty had to greet each guest with a huge smile. She received a lot of invitations to various parties, she also received partnership offers. Poor Timmy, he was the one managing Netty's "career" ... He was going to be inundated with emails.

Apart from Damian, Marinette had not yet had time to say hello to her brothers and sister. Her father was also absent... Taking advantage of a short break, the brunette took the opportunity to question her brother.

— Damian, is there anything I need to know about tonight?

— Why do you ask?

— Just... a feeling.

— Mm.

— So?

— Father and Drake are busy with some reporters who tried to sneak into the party. As for Todd, it seems to me that father has put him in charge of security, so there's little chance he'll show up tonight. As for Richard, he's helping Todd. 

— Oh, I see.

The brunette did not dare to ask her brother why he was with her rather than with their father, she was sincerely afraid of offending him.

Then, as dinner was about to be served, Marinette felt her cell phone vibrate. She had received a message from Master Fu.

"It's time to put the noodles in the water.”

It was a coded message saying, "Red alert, we need you in Paris”.

Marinette felt trapped. What she feared most was happening: She had to be in two places at once.

The brunette took a deep breath.

Paris was more important.

— Dami... I need to go to the bathroom for a minute, I'll be right back.

She didn't give him time to answer and practically ran to the toilet.

**Twenty minutes later.**

Marinette reappeared at the back of the building. It was not safe to go back into the toilets, anyone could come in.

She wasn't alone anymore. Now Kaalki was with her.

Master Fu considered that given the situation and Hawkmoth's actions, it was better for Marinette to be able to join them at any time.

She readjusted her hair and put her mask back on her face. After all, being masked all the time was Netty's trademark.

— Kaalki, stay well hidden, this is an important reception.

— Understood Princess.

She went to the reception room again.

When Tim saw her, he rushed at her.

— Ma-, Netty, where have you been? Do you have any idea how much panic you've caused?!

Tim quickly took out his cell phone to send several messages.

— Sorry, it's just, on the way to the bathroom, I felt like I was being followed...

— It wasn't just a feeling.

— It wasn't?

Marinette felt a shiver run through her whole body.

It was supposed to be a lie.

— Damian took care of it. Don't you ever disappear like that again, you hear me?! We thought that lunatic kidnapped you!

Marinette had no idea what was going on, but she suddenly felt very hurt. The brunette squinted her eyes. She whispered so that Tim was the only one who could hear her.

— Who do you think I am?

Her brother didn't have time to answer her. The rest of her family attending the gala arrived in a hurry.

As soon as he saw her, her father took her in his arms.

— Thank God you're all right.

— TT.

Damian looked at her with his arms folded. No matter how indifferent he played, the brunette was not fooled, she could clearly read relief in his body language.

— Why do I have the unpleasant feeling that there is something being hidden from me?

— That's not important.

— Mm-Hmm.

Marinette chose not to pursue the questions further. Especially since this scenario, as unhoped-for as it was, was a good fit.

The brunette should have known this kind of incident would happen again.

Marinette had to slip away more and more often... With Damian constantly following her like a shadow, she was beginning to run out of excuses. Her family members were beginning to suspect something.

The situation was no longer tenable.

She had to go back to Paris.

The question was... **how?**

Normally, she wouldn't be back until the first week of September. She'd be late for school, by the way.

She still had three more weeks before she came back.

What could she do?

Pretend she's not well enough to come home?

Especially since she still hadn't found a way to replace her team...

The brunette sighed.

She was in her room working on her sketches (it was one of the few places where Damian wasn't following her).

The Netty brand will become official in December.

She had no time anymore...

-XxxX-

Barbara was a mess. Her mind was full of contradictory feelings.

She was oscillating between anger and pride.

All because of Bruce's daughter.

**A few hours earlier.**

— Hello, Marinette? It's unusual for you to call me.

— I know, I'm sorry Babs. Look, I need to talk to you about something... private. Is there any way we can talk without "who you know" interrupting?

— I think we can manage that. Are you... are you in trouble, Marinette?

— Well, not exactly. I'll explain after I make sure no one comes snooping into my business.

Once on the secure phone line, Barbara listened intently as the teenager told her the most... incredible story she'd ever heard in her life. Everything that was going on in Paris, as well as her involvement in the case. She then quickly showed her everything she had found in detail.

— Marinette. I don't know what to tell you. I seriously want to beat the crap out of you for keeping information like that to yourself. And on the other hand I'm impressed that you managed to hide information like that for so long.

_Especially from me._

Those were the words Barbara didn't say, but she meant them nonetheless.

— Marinette, why didn't you tell your father all this? Don't tell me it's because of the promise you made to that old man. We both know you can manipulate anyone to do anything you want if you want to.

— You make it sound like I'm a manipulative demon.

— I believe the correct term is psychopath.

— I'm outraged that you would say such a thing about me.

Barbara smiles in spite of herself. That child was the daughter of Batman.

— Funny thing is you don't even realize it. You made the old man sympathize with you by knowing your history. You pushed him to make him agree to all your proposals, while letting him think he was the one taking them... As for this charming young man... Has he realized that you can "change" your "melody" according to the people you meet, hm? You even made Sabine and Tom accept what you do under the pretext that you've been "honest with them". I know about Bob Ross too.

— Touché. What can I say? It’s a family gene. That's what makes us Wayne so charming...

— Well, let's see... _Little demon_...

— As for Ross, he deserved it. Otherwise, I really like Luka. 

— And I'm really happy for you.

— Thank you!

— Why don't you answer my question?

— Mmm.

It was always hard for her to know what Marinette was thinking. Especially since Marinette herself wasn't always aware of what she was doing to those around her. And in the end, she always got what she wanted.

One way or another...

The redhead had a bad tongue.

The truth is Marinette always got _what she needed_. She knew perfectly well that the brunette was not a psychopath at all, although she loved to joke about it with Bruce's youngest daughter. Instead, she was the most empathetic person she knew.

Marinette always put other people's needs ahead of her own.

And that certainly was her charm.

The funniest part - or sad, depending on one's point of view - was that the little girl herself didn't realize it at all.

Marinette had done everything she could to reintegrate Jason into the family, despite his differences with Bruce... She had always made sure that she was more distant from Bruce, so that Damian, who had great admiration for his father, could get closer to him. Barbara was convinced that Marinette had never really hated Bruce. The brunette probably held him responsible for Talia's psychotic behavior, but she didn't hate him. She would never have helped Tim find him if she had. And most of all, she wouldn't have come back to live at the Manor so easily (while everyone in this family, even Bruce, had understood that Marinette saw Jason more as a father than as an older brother. This also explained why the teenager had behaved so badly with Bruce when she came to live at the Manor. Marinette had created an idealized vision of the "good father" because of Jason's very protective behavior towards her, which contrasted with Bruce's cold and distant behavior).

As for Tim...

Marinette was clearly not interested in the vigilante world. Yet, she had joined the front line only to keep an eye on Tim... She had started doing some reports for Wayne's enterprise instead of Tim to relieve him a bit. She forced him to take better care of himself...

Marinette was the kind of person who would sacrifice herself for others.

The brunette had never tried to get too close to Dick, only because she understood that Damian held him in high esteem... So she didn't want to be an obstacle between them. Barbara knew that Dick had also realized this, to his greatest exasperation... He, too, wanted to be close to his little sister.

The young woman knew that Dick held the teenage girl in very high esteem. After all, it was thanks to the brunette that Jason had largely calmed down, to the point that he hadn't killed anyone for at least two years now... Marinette had even managed to convince Jay to go to therapy! Jason didn't live at the Manor but had a perfectly cordial relationship with the family. He even visited from time to time. Sometimes, for a relationship to work, you must have some distance.

The redhead was almost certain that Damian had also realized this, although she was unable to say what the little devil of the family might have in mind. The only thing that was certain was that Bruce's son loved his sister very much. All the comedy he had put up just to get his sister back to live at the Manor speaks for itself...

It was strange to think that the most emotionally disturbed family member was the one who paradoxically brought the most cheerfulness into the home.

For a while... Barbara had been afraid that this incident would break the girl... Heavens... She was wrong! It had to be admitted. Marinette had an admirable strength of character.

Barbara had clearly underestimated her. The proof was that the young woman had no idea what was going on in Paris.

And with good reason... after what had happened to the teenager... The best thing was to leave her alone for a while.

**Presumably it was a mistake.**

— That's it... you know everything. So... what do you think?

— I think you should have told someone right from the start and not faced this problem alone, especially considering your situation at the time.

— Mm-hmm...

— Don't get me wrong, Netty, I completely understand why you didn't say anything. After everything that's happened, you needed some distance from everyone. And then... you wanted to take this opportunity to see if you were still able to go out in the field despite the incident, without a babysitter on your back. Isn't that right?

— Am I that transparent?

— Not to ordinary people, no.

— You're too trusting for my taste.

— Getting back to your original question. I'll answer you with another question: What's more important?

— …

— Keep this question in mind, once you find the answer, act accordingly. In the meantime, I'm gonna do some research of my own on this Hawkmoth. Even for once, I doubt I'll find anything more than what you've already found...

— Thank you, Babs...

— You're welcome, Netty. Don't push yourself, girl, you're not alone, you have a family that loves you and would do anything for your beautiful little eyes.

That made the teenage girl laugh a lot.

When Marinette hung up, only one thought crossed Barbara's mind.

_I can't wait to see Bruce's face, when he realizes that his beloved little girl has hidden such a big secret right under his nose..._


	14. Fleeing the inevitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are certain conversations you wish you'd never have.

— And so... I'm going to make my debut with Jagged Stone next fall.

— Luka... This is so great, I'm so happy for you!

— Thank you, Mari.

Marinette was chatting happily with her boyfriend. They called each other practically every day.

— What about Kitty's section? Are you gonna quit the band?

— Not at the moment, but let's just say I'll be a little less available.

— I see.

— Mari... Is... is everything all right?

— Huh?

— I can see you're a little off today... Did something happen?

That's why Marinette liked Luka so much. He was able to tell when she was good and when she was bad. When she was in Paris and her spirits were low, he would always come over and play her a song with his guitar. This would be followed by a long hug session huddled together. Alas, this time she couldn't talk about it.

_Well, you see, honey, I'm Ladybug! I'm the one who fired the entire hero team we had in Paris. It's because of me that you're overwhelmed with akumas, because in a fit of anger, I made a STUPID decision! I punished a competent team, which just lacked experience... and you know what? I REGRET IT! Oh... And I suspect my vigilante family is hiding something from me! I haven't found out what it is yet, but I know there's a rock eel! Ah... I've also learned that my brothers have probably murdered two criminals to avenge me... I feel so guilty! It wasn't as if they had crossed the red line that my father formally forbade them to cross, and which in the past has caused the banishment of one of my brothers... And all because I stupidly let myself get caught in a lousy trap, like a beginner!_

Nope, she definitely couldn't tell him all that.

— Sort of... I'll tell you when I'm sure.

— Suit yourself... You know you can tell me anything or nothing, I'll be there no matter what, _my muse_.

— I know. Thanks, Luka.

Marinette remained for a moment pensive in front of her screen. Finally, a rubbing noise caught her attention. Turning around, the brunette saw **the Hellcat** on her bed. How did this little monster get into her room?!

— Alfred, get off my bed now!

The cat looked her straight in the eyes. Marinette could swear the monster was laughing at her. He raised his hindquarters while looking at her.

Marinette immediately understood his intention: this beast wanted to relieve himself on her bed!

— ALFRED, NO!

The brunette rushed at the cat. That was all the cat wanted! He threw himself on her face and started to scratch her.

— KYAAAAAAAAAAA! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! HEEEEELLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPP!

Her screams woke up the whole house.

Her father was the first to arrive in her room, opening the door with a large shutter.

— Marinette?! What’s happen-

— **GO TO HELL SATAN!**

Marinette, who had managed to catch Alfred the cat, threw him with all her might towards the door. The cat landed on her father, then ran away, meowing indignantly.

Bruce watched the cat run away and then turned to his daughter.

Marinette was completely disheveled and had several scratch marks on her face. Her cheek was bleeding slightly.

— I... I'll get the first aid kit.

— ...

As Bruce went to get the first aid kit, it was Damian's turn to appear, followed closely by Alfred the butler.

Alfred volunteered to make a nice hot chocolate.

Damian took out his phone to cancel all Netty's appointments for the next three days.

Marinette sulked for the rest of the day.

**Metropolis, the next day.**

Marinette had an appointment with Loïs Lane-Kent, for an exclusive interview with "Netty". Since there would be no photo, this was the only work "Netty" would do for a while.

The brunette had then taken the opportunity to force her best friend to take a ride with her. There was a carnival a few miles away. Marinette knew it and absolutely wanted to go!

As always, Jon gave in to her whim, in front of Lois' amused gaze...

— Marinette... Why do I have the unpleasant feeling that you're using me to forget something?

— Jon... I'm outraged by what you're saying.

Jon, rolled his eyes with frustration.

— Seriously, do you have something on your mind?

— Nope, I just want to have some fun with the killjoy that I have as my best friend.

— We talk to each other every day on the phone. In fact, I think you talk to me more than you talk to your boyfriend...

— Jon, you've become too confident for my taste...

— Okay, you don't want to talk about it, message received.

Jon then took her hand. Marinette squeezed it gently.

_Thank you._

That's what she said to him with that simple gesture. So Jon decided to skip it this time and act as if nothing had happened. Most importantly, that Marinette was one of the few people who hadn't changed her attitude towards him since his return from space.

And it felt so good...

With his free hand, he stroked her cheek and then put a rebellious lock of hair back in place.

Marinette smiled at him.

— Come on, I'm starving.

— You're a stomach with legs!

Jon laughed heartily.

**That same evening.**

— Kaalki, full galop.

A young lady teleported herself to Paris.

— Marinette? What are you doing here? I don't remember calling you.

— Master Fu... **We need to talk**.

**The next day, very early in the morning, Wayne Manor, Library.**

Damian was reading a book comfortably settled on a couch.

— It is out of question.

— OUCH! Dami, says yes!

— No, Marinette, I wouldn't go to **_Disney Land_** with you. That place is a waste of time, energy and money. Not to mention that there will be a lot of people, endless waiting lines. I'm busy with a case.

— AWWWWWW! Papa will never let me go alone! PLEASE!

— No.

Marinette puffed up her cheeks in protest, but Damian remained impassive and completed insensitive to her "kitty eyes".

The brunette sighed and took out her phone.

— Yeah?

— Hi, Billy*! How's it going?

Damian immediately lifted his eyes from his book to turn his attention to his sister.

— Netty? Yeah, I'm fine.

— Are you available right now, like, immediately?

— Uh... yeah, why?

— Will you go to Disney land with me?

— WHAT?!

— I want to go, but Dami won't take me and I need someone strong to go with me outside the Manor. Don't worry, since it's a favor, I'm inviting you!

— I’ll be right there in less than 10 minutes.

— Cool!

She turned around, stuck out her tongue and left the room satisfied.

Damian watched her leave, raising an eyebrow.

**That night, Wayne Manor, Marinette call Jason.**

— Yo, sis.

— Yo! Where are you, right now?

— Star City. What's up?

— Can I crash? I'm on house arrest for the next four days. I'm bored.

— House arrest... Okay, what's going on?

— Nothing serious, just Alfred the cat deciding my face is a cat scratching post.

— I see. Well, if Bruce agrees, I don't see a problem.

— _Father_ doesn't have a say in how I'm socialized.

— ... Uh...Okay... I'll see you tomorrow then...

— I'll see you then.

**Then the next day again.**

— Cass, will you go shopping with me?

— Did I just hear the word SHOPPING?! I'm on my way! I KNOW! We can call Babs! And Selina! It's been a long time since we've had a girls' night out!

Marinette watched Stephanie get agitated, getting in the way between her and Cass. Her sister watched her, amused.

_Well, Girls' day, so..._

**And the next day...**

— You want to go to New York?

— Yes! I have a friend who has her fencing competition this afternoon. I want to see her.

— And can I get the name of this friend?

— Kagami Tsurugi. We're in the same fencing club in Paris.

— Tsurugi... The Japanese fencing family?

— Yes, that's right.

—... Why did you join a fencing club? You don't like it...

— It's because... I wanted to.

— Mmmmmmm. You've been going out a lot lately, Marinette. Are you, uh... no, never mind. You know you can't go alone, right?

— Jon will be there.

— You're spending your life glued to Jon these days...

— Timmy, can I go or not?

— I don't see a problem with that. But, er... Shouldn't you ask your dad instead?

— Nope!

— Hmm... Marinette, if I didn't know you so well, I'd swear you were avoiding Bruce.

— You should go to bed Timmy, you're so sleep-deprived.

— ...

-XxxX-

**Marinette avoided him like the plague.**

Bruce was genuinely confused. He didn't feel like he'd done anything to make his daughter angry.

Her birthday isn't for another four months, so he couldn't forget.

He was sure he had avoided the subject of boyfriends since she had arrived.

Nor had he mentioned his activity as Batman since her return.

He had given her space, let her run the Wayne Foundation (and she was doing a great job).

So why?

Was the fact that he let her do what she wanted been misinterpreted?

He gave her space, but... Maybe he should have done the opposite?

— Alfred... I don't understand. I mean, everything was fine. Did I miss the signs? Did I neglect her? Am I such a bad father?

— Master Bruce, I think the best solution is still to confront Mistress Marinette. Something tells me you're extrapolating the situation somewhat.

— Alfred, am I to take it that you know what's going on?

— Let's just say I have my doubts.

— Alfred, if-

— No, Master Bruce, you're her father. If you have something to say to her, then go directly to her. Ever since Miss came to the Manor, she's always had a very bad habit. Whether it's with you or her siblings...

— A bad habit ...

Bruce stopped short. Indeed, there was a habit that Marinette had had since she was a little girl.

— She wants something and doesn't dare to ask...

— Master is honoring his reputation.

— Thank you, Alfred.

— At your service, sir.

**Wayne Manor, 9:30 p.m.**

Bruce went into the Bat-cave. It was high time to plan his patrol for the day. As he descended the stairs, he realized there was a silhouette in the basement right in front of the Joker's card.

A shiver ran down his spine as he recognized whose silhouette it was.

— Marinette?

His daughter didn't react at first. Then she turned to him slowly... He couldn't tell what was on her mind, her face was completely inexpressive.

He hadn't seen such an expression coming from Marinette for a very long time now.

— Sweetheart, what are you doing here?

— ...

— Is... is something wrong? We can talk about it together or I can call someone if you want to...

She looked at him for a moment, then looked down and stared at her feet.

— I-I... I'm sorry.

— Marinette? You-

— I-I lied.

— Excuse me? Lied? About what?

— About Paris, I lied. There's... there's something that... I should have mentioned before, but... I don't even know why I didn't say anything right away... I mean, I have a vague idea, but... I didn't think that... And then... There was the promise and... Well, I mean, I...

Bruce squinted. He approached Marinette slowly, then put his hand on her shoulder.

— Marinette, you can tell me anything you want sweetheart. What's up?

Marinette took a deep breath.

— There's a terrorist in Paris.

********************

* Billy Batson, better known as "Captain Marvel" or "Shazam."a

He’s the same age then Marinette and Damian.

**********************

**Warning: this bonus is dark. NO graphic description, but I prefer warning.**

**Bonus: Jason, Tim and Marinette's secret.**

_Reference to Chapter 4: Marinette was chased out of the Manor by Bruce and now lives with Jason._

Marinette's been acting weird lately.

It had been about two months since she started going to the local school. To his relief, Jason had noticed that everything was going well. Marinette had integrated well, she had made some new friends.

The only thing that annoyed him was that now his replacement was crashing at his place.

However, Marinette loved him very much, so he was taking it out on her to support him. After all, if it made his little sister happy...

Only, things were different now. Marinette had suddenly closed herself off. She was easily irritable, hardly spoke to him anymore. The replacement ended up confronting him on the subject. In a way, he was relieved to see that he wasn't the only one to be affected by Marinette's changing moods.

Then one day, the school called him to pick up Marinette, apparently, she had attacked one of her teachers.

The principal explained that Marinette had attacked the man with _a knife_ for no reason.

He was extremely surprised. **Marinette never attacked for no reason.** Something wasn't adding up. So he did the only thing that occurred to him at the time.

**He texted Tim.**

The young man joined them shortly afterwards.

— So... Now that the replacement's here, would you be so kind as to explain what happened?

— ...

— Mari, Jason and I aren't here to lecture you. We just want to understand what that man did to make you angry.

— Yep, that guy had to have done something to get stabbed like that, right? You're not the type to knock for free. Right, _Pixie_?

Marinette looked at both of them for a second. Then nodded.

— He's a pervert.

Jason felt his fists clench. Tim, on his side, squinted dangerously.

— He looks at the girls when we're changing for the pool... He wants to help us change...

Marinette then recounted several things she had seen this man do to other girls. Most importantly, what he had tried to do to her. The guy had tried... to...

Jason saw red.

Nope.

Bruce could go fuck himself.

This guy wasn't getting off that easy.

**Not after what he did to his sister.**

Tim hugged Marinette.

— It's okay, Mari, you didn't do anything wrong.

— I broke the code...

— It was self-defense. And frankly, even Bruce doesn't always respect his own code.

Jason was in a rage.

— Jason... Attacking this guy now isn't going to solve anything...

— Are you kidding me?! Did you hear what he did?! He tried to-

— **I know**. And he's going to pay for it very dearly.

— He is? How's he gonna pay for it? Do we send him to jail nicely? That way he'll meet other pedophile buddies and they'll form a club!

— Yes, but **_we'll make sure he can never do it again_**.

Jason looked Tim straight in the eye. He could see he was serious. His eyes had a vicious glow.

Tim was angry.

No, it was worse than that. Tim was in the same condition he was in.

They shared the same feeling at that moment: **rage**.

-XxxX-

The body of a completely mutilated man was found by the police. The guy had had his private parts completely........................................................ .

Later it was proven that the man was a pedophile. Many children came out of silence.

Two days after his detention, he was savagely assaulted and eliminated by other prisoners. They were presumably paid to do the job.

No one ever knew who paid them.

**Strangely enough, after that story, Jason and Tim became closer.**


	15. The baby bird takes flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette confessed everything to her father.  
> Her father has an unexpected reaction.

**Wayne Manor, after Marinette's return from New York.**

— Hey Dami.

— What do you want?

— Let's fight.

Damian, who was stroking Titus' head, stopped dead in his tracks.

— I beg your pardon?

— Fight me.

— Why should I fight you?

— I need to check something.

This time, Damian raised his head towards his sister. She had a completely neutral expression. He hadn't seen such an expression on her face in a long time.

— I'm sorry about Alfred.

— It has nothing to do with Alfred.

— I'm not sure it's a good idea.

— I never stopped training, Damian. I never stopped it.

— Mmmm... Let's go to the basement.

— No. Not down here. We'll go to one of Jason's safe houses.

— …

Damian finally agrees.

To his surprise, not only had Marinette not lost her skill level, but she was two or three times stronger than before. This was definitely not normal. Especially for someone who was no longer supposed to be on the field.

— It's funny, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it...

— Todd.

— Demon Spawn.

Before Damian had time to retaliate, Tim arrived as well. The three brothers looked at each other for a moment, silent, then turned to their sister at the same time.

— I'm not gonna beat around the bush... I... I know about the Joker and Scarecrow.

A deadly silence descended.

— I've been going through Papa's files. I stumbled upon his investigation. He suspects the three of you but has no proof. I mean, especially Red and Robin...

The silence persisted.

— I just... I shouldn't be telling you this, but... **Thank you**.

The silence continued.

— There's... something else. I... I haven't told Papa about it. But... I never left the field. I'm tracking a criminal in Paris, and I need help capturing him. I think Red has a vague idea what I mean... (Yeah, I figured out the encoding) Thanks for that, by the way.

This had the effect of making the three brothers finally react.

— Oh, uh... You're welcome.

— Okay, crap. All right... Goddammit fucking shit!

— Your vocabulary is still so poor, Todd.

— Fuck you demon.

Tim cleared his throat.

— So... this criminal, "Hawkmoth," as I understand it.

— Hawkmoth? Seriously?! What kind of crappy alias is that?!

— I agree with Todd for once, that name sounds like one of those stupid kids' shows Grayson likes to watch.

Marinette's face darkened.

— I wish that guy was just a bad joke...

Marinette then explained to her brothers the whole story, from beginning to end, as well as her involvement.

Jason was the first to react.

— Okay, What the fuck? Why the hell have you been keeping something this big to yourself all this time?!

— You're forcing me to agree with Todd twice in one night.

— Three reasons. First, because I made a promise to the Guardian not to talk about it. Second, because I didn't want to see you. Not you, not dad, not a hero, not anyone.

— …

— …

— …

— And the third reason, because I wanted to see if... After all they did to me... After what I did... If I was still able to go out on the field on my own. I wanted to see if my life really had any meaning. If everything I'd done so far wasn't just some big illusion. I needed to be alone.

— …

— …

— …

— The reason I'm telling you all this is because... I want you to know why Papa and I might not be talking at all anymore.

— Marinette, what the hell are you talking about?

— Timbo's right, Netty, you're not making any sense.

— I'm gonna tell Papa the truth tomorrow night.

— I see. Father might actually take it very hard that you've kept this information from him for so long. Especially since your guardians should have informed him of the situation.

— It was my choices, and I assume them. My question is, will you support me or not?

**Present Time**

Marinette looked at her father nervously. After explaining to him the whole situation in Paris, she showed him all her research, the device she had set up. She also gave him access to the computer she had in her headquarters.

Batman hadn't uttered a single word. He was going through the data on the computer. The man had listened to her in the most religious silence.

Finally, after what seemed like an interminable amount of time, he turned to her.

— I have to admit... **I'm impressed**.

The brunette felt as if her brain was shutting down at that very moment. Had her father been kidnapped and a robot had taken his place?

— R-Really? Y- Y-You're not... angry, are you?

— No, **I'm furious**.

— …

— But I do recognize a good job when I see one.

— …

— …

The two looked at each other for a moment in silence. Marinette finally lowered her eyes. She knew she was at fault in this story.

— And now what happened?

— You tell me, **_Ladybug_**.

— What now?

— You decided to take care of it. The least you can do is finish what you started.

— You... you gonna let me go on?!

— I have conditions. But yes, you can.

— All right?..........Okay, not at all the reaction I was expecting……… 

— Mmm........................ Now you can tell your siblings to come out of hiding.

— What are you talking about?

And so Batman stared intently at one particular corner of the Bat-Cave. Marinette followed his gaze. She was surprised to find that out of this little corner came Red Robin, Robin, Red Hood and Batgirl. Marinette face palmed, exasperated.

_It's a good thing I made it clear to them to leave me alone with Papa._

Batman, as unflappable as ever, turned to Marinette again.

— First, I want to meet this "Guardian". I also want more information about the Miraculous. All the information.

— All right, anytime.

— Second, I want **full access** to your database. You will make me a **daily report** of the situation.

— Hm. I'll do that.

— Third, you're gonna come with me to the Watchtower. The Justice League needs to be apprised of the situation.

— Mmmmmm... if you want.

— Fourth, **you're not going back to Paris alone**. This is not negotiable.

— ……………

— Fifth, as soon as this man is apprehended, **you will return to live at the Manor**.

— ...Even if it's the middle of the school year?

— You'll be home schooled.

— ……………

In other words, her father was telling her that he no longer trusted her and that she was going to have to stay locked up in the Manor until she showed him that he could trust her again.

_Just perfect, a programmed confinement, that's all I dreamed of._

No one dared argue with Batman.

An angry Batman was a dangerous Batman.

-XxxX-

Marinette was sincerely happy to start a new school year in France. She was now in her last year of middle school. She happily reunited with her former classmates and gave them the gifts she had brought back from her "trip".

The brunette had finally explained during the previous year that she was the daughter of a rich American businessman (without ever giving his name) who had sent her to study in France. Indeed, many had started asking her questions when they saw that she often went shopping with Chloe. So it was not at all surprising for them to see her come back with so many gifts for everyone.

Everyone also knew she was from Gotham.

She sighed inwardly though, especially when she saw the class breakdown for the year.

**_He_ ** _'s going to be in my class... Why am I not surprised? Well... I'd rather have him than the other killjoy I have as my twin brother._

Marinette watched her classmates chatting happily with each other.

— Oh! Look at this, we're all in the same class!

— Oh yeah, you're right Rose.

— This year there are two new students in the class! Oh, look, there's also a new student in Miss Mendeleiev's class!

— I heard we're going to have a new English teacher, he's coming from America...

She had to take advantage of what little peace she had left. Damian would arrive next week, the time to perfect his "cover".

As for the **other two**...

-XxxX-

— Hello, everybody, my name is Peter Drake. I'll be your English teacher this year.

A young teacher, under 30. He had red hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a red shirt and black jeans. His shirt was slightly ajar, revealing a very small part of his torso.

Apparently, this exposure of flesh was enough to make the hearts of little teenage girls explode.

Several murmurs were heard.

— He's super hot!

— I hope he's single...

— I'm gonna love English this year.

Marinette watched the girls get excited in front of their new "teacher". The young lady had to refrain from rolling her eyes.

_Peter Drake, huh?_

At least now Jason was no longer trying to hide WHO his favorite brother was.

At the end of the class, when it was Miss Bustier's turn to teach, Marinette couldn't help but notice the redness that gripped her head teacher's cheeks at the sight of her older brother.

Marinette had a sly smile. At least now she would have the opportunity to collect a lot of fun time at the expense of her beloved older brother.

_I can't wait to show all this to Artemis..._

-XxxX-

Since there was no new election yet, Marinette was still the class president. This meant welcoming new students. For the time being, there was still one student missing who would not arrive until the following week. So the brunette was left alone with the "new" student.

_Really, Daddy... Of all my friends, why did you choose Billy Batson?_

While they were walking around the school, the two young friends were chatting in English.

— <This place isn't as big as I thought it would be...>

— <It's a very old private middle school. Some of the ornaments you see here date back to the 18th century.>

— Oh...

— <By the way, where will you live while you're here?>

— <I'm staying with the Guardian.>

— <The Guardian... You mean with Wang?!>

— <Yeah. I heard that one of the previous S's* was a former holder. He's very nice.>

— Hmmmm...

_I see... Billy is here to protect the Guardian..._

— <How are you gonna do it in class? You can't speak French, if I'm not mistaken.>

— <I officially have a hearing problem that requires a hearing aid. But...>

— <Let me guess, it's a device that automatically translates from French to English and, I imagine, the other way around...>

— <Bingo!>

— <Are you sure you're gonna be okay for school? Teaching here is harder than average...>

— <Seriously?!>

Marinette could only smile bitterly. She really loved that boy. He was one of her best friends (after Jon of course). He was an adorable boy, very funny, who could be counted on. But, he was an "ordinary" boy (and he had been through a lot in life) outside of his hero's coat... He even had gaps in some basic subjects (Marinette had helped him several times with his homework, she had even given him lessons). He wasn't going to be able to transform himself to have access to Solomon's knowledge in class...

— < I'll help you, Billy, I promise. It'll be just like old times...>

— <Yeah... minus the teacher assault.**>

— <It only happened once, and that guy deserved it.>

— <I know. I'm the one who made sure you didn't _get your hands dirty_ , remember?>

— <You promised to erase that event from your memory.>

— <What? And lose one of the most _badass_ moments I've ever seen in my life? Nope.>

The brunette gave him a friendly tap on the shoulder.

— Jerk!

Billy laughed out loud.

Marinette introduced Billy as an old classmate (which actually wasn't untrue. They had been classmates when Marinette lived with Jason). She insisted that Billy should not be spoken to too loudly or too quickly because of his "hearing problems".

Billy was greeted with open arms. Ivan, in particular, had decided to "adopt" him. The two boys got along famously.

The week passed quickly, and with it came a person that Marinette would learn to hate.

The new girl in their class was named Lila Rossi.

— Damian Wayne? Bruce Wayne's son and Netty Wayne's little brother?

— Yes. Netty and I are very good friends. We're both like that. [Cross her fingers].

— ...

Marinette immediately lost her smile. She stared at Lila for a good moment right in the eyes. The girl smiled "nervously". At least that's what she seemed to be trying to imitate. Marinette could clearly read the irritation in her body language.

Her change in attitude did not go unnoticed by her classmates who gesticulated around her a little uncomfortably. Finally, all except Chloe, who for some reason seemed clearly amused by the situation.

Marinette chose to see how far this girl was willing to go.

— How did you two meet?

— Oh... Uh... My mom's a diplomat, we met at a Bruce Wayne charity gala.

— Mmm-Hmmm... How old were you?

— ... 8 years old...

Marinette raised an eyebrow. That girl wasn't stupid. She seemed to know a little bit about the Waynes. However, she clearly wasn't part of the high society, otherwise she would have known that Damian and Netty hadn't performed at a gala until they were 13. And for good reason, this was part of the information that "Netty Wayne" did not broadcast, nor did any member of the family in general.

— A very interesting " **story** ".

The brunette insisted on the word "story". The sarcasm was more than obvious in her words. Despite her more than visible irritation, Marinette chose to let it go. She left to sit in her place, taking Alix and Max with her. She whispered so that they would be the only ones to hear her.

— She's lying. Beware of what she says.

The two looked at her a little confused but nodded their heads in approval. Marinette thought she would talk to the rest of her friends later.

The next day, after Rossi's arrival, Damian arrived at Françoise-Dupont Middle School. He was in Miss Mendeleiev's class.

He presented himself to her class, completely bored. He was wearing square glasses. He was wearing a T-shirt with Superman's "S" on it. Black denim Lewis pants and black converse. Contrary to his habit, he had left his hair untreated (without gel for "peak" hair). His hair was therefore tied up with a small ponytail. He wore blue contact lenses. Damian also wore a necklace at the neck, which was actually a voice modulator.

— My name is Thomas Dupain-Cheng. I'm from Gotham.

*****************************

*He is referring to the previous "Shazam".

**See Chapter 14 Bonus.

*****************************

**Bonus: The Owl Case**

Ladybug was speechless. Literally.

Her mouth was open like a little fish, watching Mr. Damocles dressed as an Owl and playing superhero. He was trying to save a kitten stuck in a tree.

Billy, at her side, was just on the ground, laughing his head off.

Robin had his arms folded; his eyebrows furrowed.

— I think that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in my life.

— …

— He looks like a turkey! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

They decided to intervene when the man fell out of his tree. Well, Ladybug and Robin, because Billy was completely out of order, he had laughed so hard.

Robin grabbed the kitten, while Ladybug took charge of saving the "Owl".

— Mr. Da-........................ Whoever you are............ What you just did was stu-...I mean, extremely dangerous. You could have hurt yourself very badly.

Robin meanwhile returned the kitten to its owner. A certain Mrs. Michelle.

— But... You're doing well, aren't you? I want to help you!

— That's...... nice..... But we're not playing games. We're here to stop the actions of a terrorist...

— But ever since I was a little boy I've dreamed of being a real superhero!

— Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

She quickly motioned to Robin not to interfere. Her brother had as much patience as an erupting volcano and the tact of a hedgehog.

Ladybug saw how quickly the press arrived to interview Mr. Damocles, aka the Owl.

Couldn't he have chosen another animal?!

— Thanks to the valuable advice of my friends Ladybug and Robin, I'll be able to do better next time.

In the background, Ladybug looked at him with round eyes. She heard Robin do a face palm.

_Is he serious right now?!_

— I'm going to review my gadgets and get some exercise, because wherever there is injustice there is, THE OWL! **OWL MIST**!

Ladybug and Robin watched the Owl fall off a tree branch and hit a pole with his face, before almost causing a road accident by crossing the street without looking.

Neither of them realized at that moment that the camera was facing them.

Ladybug's jaw was almost unhooked. Robin looked completely stunned. The young heroine then turned to her brother, her eyes bulging out. She didn't even realize she was speaking Arabic with him.

— < Did that... Did that guy seriously just sprinkle us with.......... flour?

— < I'd say more like talc...>

— <I'm not sure I'd feel any better about it.>

The two young siblings looked at each other for a moment. One could clearly see the total dismay on their faces.

Then, before the eyes of all the Parisians, **Ladybug was taken by a wild laugh**. Robin didn't laugh, but a grin was clearly visible on his face.

— Hmm... Ladybug? R-Robin?

The brunette finally focused her attention on the reporter who was watching her. It was at that moment that she realized the camera was pointed at her.

— Would you... agree to give us an interview?

Ladybug looked at the woman for a moment, then finally let out a little sigh.

— All right. But not for long.

— T-Thank you!

It was the first time Ladybug agreed to do an interview.

The city of Paris learned that the Justice League had been contacted, that Ladybug was actually part of the Teen Titans (and despite what Queen Bee had said, she wasn't on vacation, but she just had to go back to the Teen Titans HQ for a while) and that now Robin was going to assist her during Akuma's attacks.

In a certain house, in the very center of the city of Paris, a certain villain felt a cold sweat running through his whole body.

The Justice League had been contacted. Robin was now in Paris... Which meant that Batman would soon or probably already be on his heels. This could mean only one thing: Time was running out for him.


	16. Lila Rossi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Volpina is a real superhero...

— Please!

— No.

— Come oooooooooon! Daaaaaaamiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii !

— …

— My beloved little brother, whom I love with all my heart! The best Robin of all time and of all universes and multiverse combined!

Damian looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

— No.

Billy and Luka, who were comfortably settled on the couch in Marinette's room, looked at them, amused.

Kagami, who was sitting on a chair next to the couch, was enjoying a strawberry bush. She had recently joined the hero team as Ryuuko. She wasn't at all interested in the discussion between Marinette and Damian. She wasn't the kind of person who was interested in lost causes.

Tikki, Plagg, Sass and Longg ate popcorn together while watching the twins arguing. They had already made the bets and were eagerly awaiting the result.

Marinette had gotten it into her head to redo the music "I'll Be There for You" from "the Rembrandts". In other words, she wanted to reproduce the opening theme of the old "F.R.I.E.N.D.S." series. Jason had already given his consent (he would be the one to film all the scenes), which was not surprising in itself, he loved the chao that Marinette's fantasies generated. 

**Speaking of Jason.**

The latter was officially in Paris to supervise the operation... In reality, Jason was taking care of everything except the "Hawk Moth" case. Since he had arrived, he had already arrested several drug traffickers, a pedophile cybercriminal network and had already prevented several robberies.

There were two reasons for not investing. The first was that he felt that his sister already had things under control. The second was that he had simply lost by the straw.

Bruce had decided that in addition to Damian, another sibling should accompany them to oversee the operation. Alas, no one wanted to go. They were all unanimous on one point (yes, including Dick. He even burst out laughing when Barbara told him the whole story):

**Batman was the last person who had any right to be angry because someone had hidden something.**

He was the king of secrecy, so it was no wonder his descendants had the same tendency.

Moreover, let's be honest, Marinette had done a good job. There were certainly a few blunders that had been made, but overall, she had done very well. Especially taking into account the fact that she had done practically _everything on her own_.

_But of course, the only thing Bruce remembered was "you kept information from me". Talk about a Drama Queen._

— Sorry I'm late, guys, I got stuck in traffic and... what's going on?

Jon had just come in.

He had decided to go to journalism school in Paris. He was one of the "reinforcements" sent by the League to help with the "Hawk Moth" case. Jon had for the occasion opened a blog called "Miraculous" which gave a lot of information about the group of Parisian "superheroes". Also exclusive interviews, videos of the fights, photos... The aim was to control the information circulating about the young heroes, so that an incident like the one with Queen Bee would never happen again.

Jon had a second essential role: that of preventing Marinette and Damian from killing each other. Jason was supposed to be there as a babysitter, but he spent more time throwing fuel on the fire...

— Joooon! Help me convince Dami to say yes!

— Kent, do me a favor and talk some sense into her.

Jon sighed.

This afternoon was going to be really long...

-XxxX-

Marinette entered in the school with her brother at her side. The two were quietly discussing in Mandarin, about the kind of advertising campaign Marinette should do to announce her brand new website, supposed to launch her career as the muse for Wayne Enterprise. Damian was helping his sister with the design of the site. 

— Can you imagine?! Lila knows Prince Ali personally! She even flew with him in his private jet!

Hearing Prince Ali's name, Marinette looked at her classmate strangely. Damian also turned his head towards Rose and raised an eyebrow.

Marinette was sure that her blonde friend was talking about "Lila Rossi". A French-Italian girl who had recently moved in with her mother after her mother divorced her father (yes, Marinette had done some research). Her mother worked in the French embassy in Italy, her father was an airline pilot.

The first few times Lila had started spreading lies, Marinette systematically sent her packing. However, Billy advised her to simply ignore her, as her behavior was irritating others in the class (the fact that Billy got along with everyone in the class had its advantages). Tikki had also advised him to simply ignore her as well. After all, she had already said several times that Lila was telling lies; if no one listened to her, it was no longer her problem. She had done her part.

Marinette had decided to follow their advice.

**It was extremely frustrating.**

As the twins continued their way to their respective classes, the stories about Lila multiplied.

— Lila knows every director in Hollywood! She even promised to tell Steven Spielberg about me!

Marinette frowned.

— This girl has an incredible life! Thanks to the interview I did with her, the visitors on my blog exploded!

Marinette walked by Alya and gnashed her teeth.

— Lila is Netty Wayne's best friend! Can you imagine! I heard Damian Wayne even asked her out.

Damian immediately frowned.

The twins looked at each other, completely stunned. Damian chose to speak first.

— Do you know this "Lila"?

— Yes, she's the new girl in my class, you know the one who-

— The one who forges a fictional life for herself? I remember.

— Mmm.

— Your classmates are stupid.

— Da-... Thomas, don't be mean...

— Are we talking about the girl who claims to have saved Jagged Stone's "kitten" from a plane taking off? Who has arthritis in a different wrist every day? Who pretends to be friends with a prince who is not allowed to have any relationships other than with members of the aristocracy or royalty? And who apparently wants to make Jagged Stone look like a pedophile? I'm sorry dear sister, but these plebs don't shine with intelligence.

— You know, "normal" people don't have fun checking everything people tell them. Only father would do such a thing...

Damian rolled his eyes and left to join his class.

Marinette saw that Damian had joined a brown boy with green eyes. If her memory didn't fail her, the boy's name was Marc.

She smiled.

The brunette was happy to see that her brother had made a friend.

**To Marinette's great satisfaction, there was at least one person who absolutely didn't believe Lila's preposterous lies.**

— Mr. Drake, may I switch seats and sit up front, next to Adrien? I have trouble hearing from where I am, because of my tinnitus...

— Oh really, miss Rossi? Where is your hearing aid?

— Uh... W-What?

— The only person in this class who has a hearing problem is Mr. Batson. That's why he's out front and Miss Dupain-Cheng is always with him to help him take notes.

— …

All of Lila's attempts to get special treatment fell through.

— Mr. Drake, can I get someone to take notes for me, my arthritis is killing me...

— Oh... _What kind_ of arthritis do you have, miss Rossi?

— Uh...Uh...I-

— It’s funny, when it comes to flirting with Mr. Agreste in the hallway you don’t seem to have a problem using your wrist to seduce him. I see that Mr. Agreste is an excellent remedy for pain. If that’s the case, he should be sent to nursing homes to help relieve the pain of many elderly people.

The whole class laughed.

Lila blushed embarrassed.

Adrien seemed to want to bury himself.

_Jason, I love you!_

-XxxX-

Marinette walked towards the library. For once she would be alone, Billy had been invited by Ivan for a "buddy" outing.

The brunette had left the fencing club this year. Her schedule was far too full for her to afford extracurricular activities. It was Damian who took her place on the team. To her great satisfaction, he got along very well with Kagami.

The brunette had some homework to do.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was in the library yet, Tikki began to explore the surroundings. She saw when Lila entered the library and pulled Adrien inside.

_Poor boy..._

From what Tikki understood, Lila wanted to do her history homework with the blonde. In the eyes of the little goddess, it seemed more like _a poor excuse_ to spend time with Adrien.

**Tikki didn't like this girl at all.**

She had told Marinette to ignore her just to protect her.

Like young Billy, Tikki had noticed that the others in the class were beginning to find her attitude annoying. Even those who had been friends with her surrogate last year found her behavior silly.

**This meant that they didn't believe her.**

Tikki had even overheard a conversation between some of the girls (Alya, Mylene, Alix). Marinette had left her things in the classroom to go to the toilet.

— Marinette is really exaggerating! It wasn't nice what she did to Lila earlier! What's wrong with her? They don't even know each other!

— I don't know Alya, Marinette doesn't strike me as a person who would pick on someone for no reason...

— Little Mylene just barely. Mari said that Lila lies all the time, that's why it annoys her.

— Is this a joke?! If there's someone lying, it's Marinette! She told us she was the daughter of a rich man from America, right? She never wants to say his name! She claims she went to the United States over the holidays? She could have ordered what she gave us online! In comparison, I've already seen Lila's mother several times. She even confirmed to me that she had already had to travel a lot for her work... I don't see why what she says would be false!

— Mari really went to America Alya, Juleka told us that she was always talking to Luka by messenger...

— Speaking of which, isn't Marinette supposed to be in a relationship with Juleka's brother? Then why is she spending so much time with Billy? Lila told me she sees her hanging out with a bunch of older boys all the time. I've seen them a few times, too! There're a dark-haired guy with blue eyes, he's super tough and another guy with black hair, who wears glasses.

Mylene opened her eyes wide.

— You mean Marinette is cheating on Luka?! And with **_multiple boys_**?!

Alix frowned.

— I don't believe a word of it.

Alya looked at her, then rolled her eyes.

— We're talking about a girl who's Chloe's best friend! I bet she makes Chloe pay for her clothes! Did you see the clothes Marinette's wearing? They're not worth much... for a rich kid she doesn't try very hard. Besides, doesn't it bother you that she always looks down on us?!

— …

— …

Before Mylene or Alix could answer, Marinette came back from the toilet. The girls immediately changed the subject.

Several times, Tikki heard Alya break sugar on Marinette's back when she wasn't there.

The Kwami felt sorry for her holder, who really liked all the girls in her class. They were nice in front of the brunette, enjoyed the gifts and her kindness but said bad things about her holder whenever they had the chance.

Sometimes, Lila would join them to tell lie after lie about Marinette. But of course, **never in front of her.**

**Tikki found that attitude disgusting.**

As she was about to leave to join her holder, Adrien brought out a book that the little Kwami knew all too well.

**Tikki was shocked!**

Why did Adrien have the Miraculous Book?!

— We'll now we can get going on our history homework. It's so much more fun doing it together, don't you think?

When Lila saw Adrien's book, she almost tore it out of his hands.

— What's that?

— Nothing… Just stories about superheroes...

— I love superheroes...

The young lady's voice became sweet.

**Tikki rolled her eyes.**

The little Kwami approached the two teenagers as discreetly as possible.

— You know, I actually happened to be very close friends of Ladybug…

— Really?!

— We can chat about it if you want, not here tough! Why don’t we meet at the park after school and I'll tell you everything!

Tikki sees Lila discreetly steal Adrien's book, while making sure she gets her date.

The little Kwami squinted.

_Didn't anyone ever teach this boy not to follow strangers?!_

However, this was not her problem.

Tikki had something else more urgent to do.

**She had to tell Marinette!**

-XxxX-

Marinette perched on a building right in front of the park, transformed into Ladybug.

She was watching the video Alya posted on her blog.

The brunette rolled her eyes several times.

Lila was really lucky that Hawk Moth had a minimum of brain cells. If she had been in Gotham, Lila would already be dead or taken hostage for claiming to be friends with a hero.

To her, the situation was ridiculous. But if Tikki said this book was important, then she trusted her.

**Tikki had never lied to her.**

The brunette saw when Lila entered the park. She used her yo-yo to watch the scene. The teenager could hear the whole conversation, having placed small microphones on all the park benches (she wasn't really sure where the little liar was going to set up).

When Adrien got closer, Lila threw the book in the trash.

_Oh, at least, I'd no longer have any trouble getting it back now..._

Lila began her pathetic little acting actress act.

— So you do know Ladybug, for real?

— Not only Ladybug saved my life, we’ve become very close friends. Because we have something very special in common, it’s what I want to tell you about. I’m the descendant of a vixen superheroine myself, Volpina. 

— Volpina?!

From her perch, Marinette facepalmed.

**_Seriously? How could someone be so credulous?!_ **

****

The brunette was feeling terrible.

She didn't like seeing her former kitten manipulated like that.

Adrien was really innocent... He didn't deserve to be tricked like that bitch was doing!

— Wait a minute, I think I read about her in my book!

— Of course she’s in your book! She's one of the most important superheroes, more powerful and celebrated than Ladybug... Between you and me, Ladybug doesn’t even make the top ten. My grandma gave me this necklace.

Seeing that Lila was showing Adrien a pendant (very similar to the original, we had to be honest), Marinette decided to intervene. 

She landed on purpose, right in front of the two teenagers. She walked towards them, visibly furious.

— Are you Lila Rossi?

She saw the girl turn pale.

**Perfect.**

— Listen to me, kid, I'm not going to tell you twice. Don't you ever tell lies about me again. Do you understand me? Do you have any idea of the consequences of your actions? To say that you're my best friend? Are you out of your mind?! Hawk Moth could attack you at any moment because of your nonsense!

Adrien looked at the scene bewildered and asked in a small voice.

— So... I’m guessing you're not a descendant of a superhero either?

_Oh... Adrien... You're so pure that it almost annoyed..._

— A descendant of a Superhero?! What the hell is this all about?!

— How dare you?!

Lila got up and ran away with tears in her eyes.

_Seriously?! The girl uses superhero status to hit on a guy, she uses everyone as a slave, and she dares to blame **me**?!_

Ladybug then turned to Adrien, waiting for an explanation. Once the blond guy told her the whole story, she sighed.

— Kid... You shouldn't believe everything people tell you; it can be extremely dangerous...

— I-I'd remember that... weren't you... weren't you a little harsh with her?

— Actually, I was nice. If _Robin_ had heard that story, believe me, it would have been **worse**. He would have made her apologize in front of all the TV stations in France to set an example. I'm not even talking about _Superboy_ , who would have given a lecture for hours to the person who posted that stupid interview...

—... I see... Could I have your autograph?

_Oh my God... That boy is so cute..._

Ladybug smiled and gave him an autograph.

She even agreed to take a selfie with him. The lady waited for Adrien to leave to retrieve the book, then de-transformed.

— So Tikki? Is this the book?

— Yes Marinette, it's THE book.

— What's so important about it?

— This book contains inestimable information about all the Miraculous. It is dangerous in the wrong hands...

— I see...

Why did Adrien have such a valuable book with him?

The young lady thought about it, but only one conclusion came to her mind. She didn't like it at all.

Marinette took out her cell phone and sent a message to her two brothers.

As she was about to return home, she saw a huge ball of fire approaching Paris at full speed. Marinette looked at the scene, her eyes wide open.

How could such a meteorite get so close to the city without the JL intervening?! In fact, how could a meteorite of this size have come so close to the earth at all?!

She saw Superboy's silhouette pass right over her head.

Marinette transformed herself. She knew perfectly well that Jon would be able to handle the situation alone. However, this story was not clear.

As Superboy was about to intercept the meteor, a silhouette stood in front of him and intercepted the meteorite and sent it back.

The young hero looked at the figure strangely.

She then addressed the crowd.

— I'm Volpina, the only superheroine Paris needs!

People began to cheer her.

Marinette and Jon looked at the scene raising an eyebrow.

**Did that girl really think they were _that_ stupid?! **

Considering the size of that meteorite, she should have already melted down almost all the buildings around, not to mention the people who were there who should already be burning alive... (Why didn't anyone realize that?!).

_I'm starting to think that Damian was right about the plebeians._

The girl approached them.

— You two come at a good time, I need a hand!

The two young heroes looked at each other. Then looked at the girl.

**Bullshit.**

It was clearly the only word that crossed their minds.

Superboy came up to "Volpina" and threw a quick punch. The girl disappeared with a little scream, surprised by the heroes' reaction.

Ladybug contacted Robin and briefly explained the situation.

Jon, at her side, listened silently.

— She will probably go to Adrien's house.

— Copy that. Viperion and Ryuuko are with me.

— All right, then. Do me a favor and **punch her in the face**.

Robin's sinister snigger was her only answer.

**"Volpina" was slaughtered.**

When Ladybug and Superboy arrived, all the girl had to do was purify the akuma.

-XxxX-

**Ladybug secret base, 11:30pm.**

— So, Babs, what do you think?

— This guy's got some kind of mini nuclear power station in his house. I also found some interesting data on his computer. Check it out.

The entire Miraculous Book had been digitized. There was also a careful compilation of all the information available online on "Hawk Moth". He had also exchanged a lot of emails with Vicki Vale about the heroes.

— He has several cameras at home, I will take care of it. By the end of the evening, you will be able to watch him 24 hours a day.

— Great, thanks Babs.

Marinette turned to her two brothers, Jason and Damian, as well as Billy and Jon who were present.

— Billy, I want you to get closer to Adrien. We need to find out if he's involved in this or not.

— Got it.

— Jon, I need you to analyze the Agreste house with your x-ray vision. We need to find out where the Akumas are coming from. I want you to give me a complete plan of the building.Then I want you to take care of the plague that is Vicki.

— Yeah, sure thing.

— Jay... As soon as Jon finishes his plan, I want you to pay a visit to The Agreste and leave them some presents from us.

— Dami, I think it's time, that Netty Wayne and her brother Damian Wayne, get a little more closer to Gabriel Agreste... Can I count on you?

— TT, it's already done.

Marinette smiles.

***************************************

**Bonus 1: Jason, the ladies' killer...**

Roy was having a quiet breakfast when he heard his phone vibrate.

He had just received a message from Jason's little sister. He wondered what little LadyBird was sending him.

When he opened the message, he spit out his coffee.

It was a video montage.

The first video was of Jason dressed as a teacher being hit on by two teachers. One with red hair and freckles, rather cute. The second one had purple locks and wore glasses. They wanted the guest somewhere, and Jason was obviously very embarrassed by the situation.

— Well, Mr. Drake? Would you mind coming with us after school? It's a welcome drink...

— Hmm... I arrived three months ago, you know...

The second video just showed Jason walking down the hallway with books in his hand. Where he passed by, _all the girls_ were always turning their heads at the same time.

Then there were pictures of what appeared to be a teachers' locker, overflowing with gifts, chocolates and small cards.

— So Jason... how does it feel to be a _sex symbol_? Should I start calling you _pedobear_?

— If you could come to class more often Todd, thanks to you, Mrs. Mendeleïev becomes more bearable when you're around. For once, your presence serves a purpose. 

— Stop it Dami... It's not his fault that his charm only works on _girls under fifteen_...

— Girls and long-term bachel singles.

The twins burst out laughing together.

Poor Jason looked at all the cards with a grin.

— Seriously... **_This_** is my life?

And of course, there were plenty of close-up photos on Jason's head completely exasperated, even terrified.

Roy almost choked several times, so hilarious were the faces Jason made.

He decided that Jason's head would be his new wallpaper.

**Bonus 2: Batman... Just... No.**

**Batman was in Paris.**

Ladybug was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She'd just beaten an akuma.

It was 3:00 in the morning, she was tired!

The day before, she had only slept two hours in total (commissions to finish, akumas, homework, promotional videos to shoot), and on top of that... She was in her "period". Her belly was hurting like hell!

She had other things to do than to manage THE HEN (or rather the bat) who served as her FATHER.

That's how Ladybug threw a monstrous tantrum in front of the cameras of the whole France.

— Ladybug, you didn't respect the conditions.

— Damn it, **Father** , LET ME LIVE! I'm just an hour late, **ONE HOUR late**!

— That's not-

— **NO!** That's enough! This is **MY** city, **MY** territory, **MY** rules! Do I tell you how to arrest criminals, UH? NO! Then stop being on my back all the time! Just because _I'm a girl_ doesn't mean _I can't defend myself_! Go bother Robin!

— Yeah, but no, don't. Leave me out of this mess.

It was a raging Ladybug who swung from building to building on the rooftops of Paris, leaving behind a Batman visibly bewildered by his daughter's behavior. The poor guy had his shoulders slightly down.

— Father... you should read books about girls' puberty... there are times when they shouldn't be disturbed. 

— _Demon Spawn_ is right, B., this is clearly not the time to get in her head.

The man clearly seemed lost in the words of his two sons.

The next day, the social networks went up in flames.

"OMG, Ladybug is Batman's DAUGHTER!”

"Poor Ladybug, having to fight at _this time_..."

"Batman struggling to figure out his kid, LMAO, I'm dead!”

"I'm the only one who's reassured to know that I'm not the only one struggling to understand my daughters?”

"Batman... The Lost Daddy..."

"I'm the only one who's shocked to know that BATMAN has CHILDREN?!”

For the rest of the following week, Batman found himself with criminals who were giving him _advice_ on how to get closer to his daughter...

Even Gordon looked at him sympathetically.

— I have a daughter of my own, too, if you ever need any advice. You'll see, she'll settle down in time...

When Bruce returned to the Manor, there was a book on his desk.

"I hope this will help you see more clearly, sir. Signed A."

As Bruce took the book in his hands, he realized he had hit rock bottom.

The book was entitled " ** _Puberty for Dummies._** "


	17. Calm before the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone prepares for the fight to come.

Wayhem is an enthusiastic boy. He is also friendly, made friends very easily, was a good student. He was the son of a bank manager and a surgeon.

His family's economic situation was stable.

He was looking forward to entering one of the best business schools in Paris. In other words, he was ambitious.

The teenager looked at the walls of his room with a huge smile.

On each wall were pictures of a young lady with black hair and blue eyes. Unfortunately, some of the pictures were blurred, because he had had to take them in haste, but... He was very proud of his hard work.

It had taken some time, but he had finally managed to find his future wife. This was the result of a great deal of investigative work on his part. He had started by zooming Netty's eyes on every video since she had been in Paris, to see if he recognized the places she had been going to. He discovered that she often went to the "quay de Seine" and near the Eiffel Tower. Then he continued his efforts on "Lucario". This boy looked a lot like Luka Couffaine, Jagged Stone's new protégé. He found the address of the Couffaine family. The rest was not very difficult to find from there.

When he first saw her... His heart missed a beat.

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Which meant her first name was probably Marinette Al Ghul-Wayne, which explains the nickname Netty.

He couldn't stop smiling for a whole week.

He started following her discreetly.

He soon realized that it would not be easy. Netty seemed to have a sixth sense and often looked in his direction and quickly found his hiding place. He had managed to escape in time until now, but it was only by pure chance.

She was so extraordinary...

So he chose to become a regular customer of the Dupain-Cheng couple's bakery. Netty worked with them regularly. It annoyed him greatly, that other people could see his Netty, touch the bread she took with her delicate little hands. This couple was completely crazy to make a person of Netty's rank work in this shabby establishment.

She was so brave...

The third problem was the presence of Netty's brothers. Damian Wayne and Jason Todd were both present in Paris. It was impossible for him to get too close or talk to her in the bakery without arousing suspicion. Even though they were his future brothers-in-law, he shouldn't present himself in a bad light.

Finally, there were these three people. This "Luka" who had dared to touch his sweetheart (Wayhem was going to get rid of him in the most painful way possible). This "Billy" who was far too familiar with his princess. And this "Jon" who had the right to the attention of his girlfriend.

Wayhem had a painting with their faces stuck on it.

His smile became cynical.

He was going to get rid of them.

One way or another.

-XxxX-

Marinette had very little time for herself lately...

Between her "work" as "Netty", which included charity work (she had even seen Prince Ali again recently for a special donation of toys), doing photo shoots of the future Netty collection, meeting business partners, sending daily mission reports to her father, managing her tasks as a representative of her class...

**She was on the verge of a breakdown!**

To make it worse, lately she felt like she was being watched. Someone was definitely following her. As if she didn't have enough problems to deal with in her life as it is!

And then... There was middle school.

The only good news right now?

**Lila Rossi wasn't in the middle school anymore.**

The atmosphere in the classroom had become much healthier. Well, "healthy" was a figure of speech.

Marinette had noticed that several people had changed their behavior towards her. From what Billy and Tikki had told her, Alya was having fun creating rumors about her. The teenager felt sincere _pity_ for her classmate. Alya was by no means a bad girl. Quite the opposite, normally, she was a lovely girl, very enthusiastic, and gave herself over to her dreams. She had all the qualities to become a great journalist (all she lacked was _common sense_ , but hey, nobody was perfect).

Unfortunately, Lila had turned this cool, confident girl into a stupid, limp, bullshit bitch... Lila was, in a way, Alya's "Shiva". Marinette knew what it was like to be manipulated and betrayed by someone you trusted _completely_ (she had considered Shiva as _her mother_ for a long time). The teenager was just hoping that Alya would soon realize what kind of snake Lila Rossi was, before it was too late...

So Marinette had decided to ignore those low masses about her and continued to treat everyone with kindness as she had always done. She didn't give a damn what those people thought of her. Many of her classmates were just _profiteers_. Marinette didn't need those people in her life.

Maybe if she'd known them for a long time, she would have suffered that abandonment… Yeah... If in another life, these people had been childhood friends... If she hadn't been raised by assassins but by people like Sabine and Tom... It would have hurt.

But that's it...

**She knew what real friends looks like.**

Marinette had come to agree with what her brother Damian had told her.

**Her classmates weren't exactly brilliant.**

Or else they turned off their brains on purpose, in the presence of Lila. This girl's lies were stupid and easily refuted. It was on the same level as telling someone the moon was a piece of _emmental cheese_.

And there was Adrien.

The girl felt very bad for her former kitty. She really adored Adrien. He was a great partner, funny, amusing, and he was a great fighter. However, she didn't regret her choice at all, especially now knowing that Hawk Moth was none other than the father of _her_ kitty.

Alas, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness every time she saw him on her computer screen when she looked at the images projected by the surveillance cameras in Adrien's room.

**It was because of her that Adrien would never come back to school again.**

Marinette couldn't give this book back to her classmate. It was far too dangerous. She had already taken away part of his freedom by taking his black cat's ring, and now she was condemning him to live imprisoned in his own house.

That was the price to pay. **And that price was just horrible**.

Adrien was falling into a depression.

And his father didn't seem to notice, or he pretended not to. Gabriel's secretary seemed to have figured it out. But she wasn't doing anything to help the poor boy, either.

So Marinette decided to do something about it.

The bluenette went to Gabriel Agreste's house. She explained that she had found this book in the school library, but the librarian told her that the book in question was not listed in the school catalog. Having learned what had happened to Adrien (that he was being punished for losing his father's book), she thought that this book might be the one the teenager had lost.

Adrian returned to school.

Thanks to Marinette's action, the blonde felt indebted to her. So, since he was already friends with Billy, Adrien began to spend time with the bluenette and her friends as well.

“So, if I understand correctly, you're telling me that you returned the book, containing the secret of all the Miraculous, to Paris's terrorist?”

“Yes, Papa, that's what I said.”

“Hm. I thought you _already_ had a _boyfriend_.”

“....................................NOPE!..................... I’m not! WTF?!”

“Language.”

“He was my partner for a long time, that's all!”

“Hm.”

“And also... Cause Gabriel reminds me of... my _moth_ -… Uh... _Sandra_.”

“...”

“Looking at him makes me realize... how lucky I am to have a _real gentle papa_... that's all.”

“................”

Batman said nothing further. Nor did he question her choice.

And then the akumatization stopped.

-XxxX-

**Lila was furious.**

She had not only lost all her chances with Adrien, because of this _miserable bug_ , but also, according to Alya, Adrien and Marinette had gotten closer.

That little bitch already had a boyfriend, didn't she? Besides, he was one of Jagged Stone's official musicians, if she understood correctly... So why was she flirting with **_her_** Adrien?!

That _Marishit_ spent all her time questioning her! It's a good thing the students in that class were mostly idiots. Well, except for that little group that followed the bluenette around like little dogs.

Marishit had the status of the _queen of the school_. She was adored by everyone because of her stupid kindness and her "good actions".

**What a load of bullshit!**

Lila was not dumb, she could feel when someone wasn't sincere or honest, and that was part of the way she chose her ~~slaves~~ allies.

**That _bitch_ was just like her.**

She hid behind a mask of kindness, but in reality, she was a vixen.

Lila was also a _queen_ , and there was _no room_ for _two queens_ in _one kingdom_.

She needed to get rid of the plague. But for the time being, all her attempts to do so were a complete failure. She tried to smear Marinette's reputation with her lies. Alas, the bitch's reputation was too "perfect" and too few people believed her. There were even people who avoided her like the plague.

Marishit had all the "celebrities" of their middle school in her hands:

\- Chloe Bourgeois, the mayor's daughter. This little snob was one of Marishit's closest friends. Nor did she hesitate for a second to question all the stories Lila tried to tell.

\- Aurore Beauréal, the advertising model and current president of the student council. She loved the bluenette and couldn't stand Lila.

\- Mireille Caquet, the presenter of the weather news, who would run away whenever Lila tried to get close to her.

\- Kagami Tsurugi, the daughter of a prestigious fencing family. Lila still remembered the humiliation she suffered because of that stupid Japanese girl. She declared in front of everyone that she did not speak to " _girls like her_ ".

\- Marc Anciel and Nathaniel Kurtzberg, the duo behind the Ladybug comics. They were always courteous to her, but Lila wasn't an idiot, she understood that they didn't believe her.

\- Thomas Dupain-Cheng, the new star of the fencing team... He was impossible to get close to. To make it worse, he was Marishit's "twin" brother (Lila didn't believe for a moment that these two were twins, they were far too different, both physically and behaviorally).

Very few teachers were also on her side. She was sure and certain that Miss Bustier was eating out of her hand. However, other teachers such as Miss Mendeleiev, Mr. Drake and Mr. D'Argencourt openly showed their favoritism towards the bluenette.

That was why Lila had still managed to find "allies". People who were jealous of Marishit and her "accomplishments".

People like Alya Césaire.

There was another person Lila hoped to bring into her ranks: Adrien Agreste.

The young model was rich, handsome and intelligent. He was the key that would allow Lila to finally have the life of luxury and celebrity that **she deserved**.

But that stupid Ladybug had ruined everything!

And now, because that Marishit bitch, who had found the book she'd thrown in the trash and returned it to the Agreste, Adrien was one of her _new lackeys._

It was because of this bug and Marishit that Lila was locked in her room and forced to call her class twice a week to tell them about her _imaginary trip_.

She brooded over her anger and didn't realize that a Butterfly had entered her room.

Then she heard a voice in the depths of her mind.

“Good evening, Miss Rossi. I hope I'm not coming at a late time.”

“H-Hawk Moth?!”

“I have a proposition for you Miss Rossi. A proposal that would allow you both to get rid of your enemies and gain complete control of your school.”

The brunette had a machiavellian smile on her face.

“I’m listening.” 

-XxxX-

Far from all this excitement, taking advantage of the respite Hawk Moth was giving them, a certain Luka Couffaine was taking full advantage of his date with his girlfriend.

Since Marinette's brothers had arrived from Gotham, they hadn't been able to spend any time alone.

The two were always behind them as chaperones.

But this time, they had _finally_ managed to escape their surveillance.

They shared a cone of ice cream they'd bought at Andre's, the lovers' ice cream stand.

A blueberry, strawberry ice cream with dark chocolate and blackberry slices.

Marinette was sitting on his lap, huddled in his arms enjoying the rest of their ice cream cone, while he had his head resting on her head. He breathed in the scent of her perfume and could finally feel the warmth of her skin against his own.

He had closed his eyes to listen to the sweet melody of his beloved. Several songs were already invading his mind.

They went hand in hand.

Luka left her on the doorstep of the bakery. He put a kiss on her forehead (he already felt two pairs of eyes shooting at him...).

The young musician went home with a smile on his face.

He didn't realize the silhouette that followed him.

The only thing that Luka felt was a violent pain in the middle of his back, then...

**Darkness.**

* * *

**Bonus 1: Jason's revenge.**

Jason was tired of everyone laughing at him.

What could he do if all those teachers were rabbits in heat?!

Even Artemis was laughing at him! That was the last straw!

So, since Marinette and Damian had decided to play this trick on him, no one would blame him if he took revenge... Wouldn't they?

He started by taking pictures of Damian with Kagami. He had noticed that the two of them got along very well (in friendship of course), but... He could have fun _distorting_ reality a bit, couldn't he?

Jason posted the picture on the Family Chat, with the following message "Demon Spawn and his crush".

Everyone went completely crazy at the sight of the picture. Dick seemed to be the most enthusiastic.

Bluebird: OMG! This day is FINALLY ARRIVED!!

Blondie: I'm going to move to Paris too ... I want to find a boyfriend.

Cass: ♥

Redbird: OMFG! Mari was telling the truth?!

Jason was laughing his ass off reading everyone's reaction until Marinette came on the Chat.

Baby sis: JAY! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE **A SECRET**!!!!!!

The Chat became more and more excited.

Jason when he read this message froze.

_Wait... What?! Demon Spawn REALLY has **a crush** on the **fencer**?!_

He heard his bedroom door open. Jason managed to dodge the sword just in time.

In front of him was none other than his little brother, with his katana in his hand. Damian looked at him furiously.

_Oops?_

* * *

**Bonus 2: Bridgette, the evil rabbit.**

Damian was starting to believe that karma was real.

The only animal Damian could take with him from Gotham was Alfred the cat. And as unbelievable as it seemed, Alfred was afraid of Bridgette.

The reason? Well, it was simple.

**Marinette's rabbit was evil!**

That animal only pooped on his bed, and always when Marinette wasn't in the room.

He had to hide his books and notebooks, because the rabbit would come and nibble them (even when the stuff was in his bag). She had already destroyed his headphones, his charger and the wires of his headphones... Sometimes he found his bag wet because the rabbit had peed in it...

He really didn't know what had happened between Bridgette and Alfred, but his cat would run away, meowing in terror as soon as Marinette brought her rabbit back into the room. It was ridiculous. Bridgette was a _small rabbit_. She was the size of a _baby shoe_. Alfred was huge by comparison...

And then one night...

Damian woke up in the middle of the night, feeling like he had a presence in the room (he shared the room with Marinette). When he turned around, he saw Bridgette **staring at him on _his_ bed**.

He bit his lip so he wouldn't scream.

Damian had the impression that the rabbit's eyes were abnormally bright. The _beast_ kept staring at him for a while, then jumped out of bed. She went to hide in her little wooden house.

**Damian couldn't get back to sleep.**

“Damian, are you all right? You look terrible.”

Marinette looked at him worried, while caressing the monster, lying quietly next to her.

“Marinette... Does... has Bridgette ever done anything weird?”

“Bridgette? Anything weird? What do you mean?”

“Like watching you sleep or something.”

“You mean like getting on my bed? She does it all the time, yeah... Why? Did she get on yours? I can make her sleep downstairs if you want. Alfred the cat will be happy to have company.”

Damian could have sworn his cat just twitched.

Then he looked at the rabbit, who was staring at him.

**The rabbit winked at him.**

Damian's eyes widened. He got up from his chair and began to leave the room, massaging his temple.

“Damian?”

“I didn't sleep well, I'm going back to bed.”

“But... We have class in five minutes...”

He ignored his sister, took his cat and locked himself in the bedroom.

He was really tired, he felt as if _a rabbit_ had _winked_ at him. Damian was really sleep-deprived.

For her part, Marinette put a kiss on the head of her precious little rabbit and went to school alone.

Bridgette waited patiently for her mistress to leave. Then she looked through the bedroom hatch. She groomed herself quietly. Wondering what other trick she could play on that human and his stupid cat.

**She was finally going to avenge her mistress.**


	18. Heroes day [Part 1]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is sometimes unfair. Marinette will make the bitter experience of it.  
> Gabriel sets in motion his plan to obtain the Miraculous. Too bad if others have to pay the price.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to apologize for the time it took me to get this chapter out.
> 
> It just so happens that I had a big lack of inspiration on the one hand, and on the other hand, I hesitated a lot... I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the story.
> 
> Secondly, I'm a Master's student. And a Master's degree means preparing a memoir. It's taking up a lot of my time, which is why I don't publish as frequently as I used to. But I want to reassure you, I haven't given up any of my stories.

Two hours before Luka was attacked.

Marinette was feeling really serene. She was sitting on her boyfriend's lap, eating an absolutely delicious ice cream.

It had been so long since she had felt so calm.

Luka was gently stroking her hair.

“Mari?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.”

“… ! ...”

Marinette felt her cheeks burning. She looked Luka straight in the eyes.

He wasn't lying.

She knew he wasn't lying.

The bluenette knew she was supposed to answer.

But the words just wouldn't come out.

He put his hand on her cheek and then put a soft kiss on her lips.

He smiled tenderly at her.

All she could do was smile back at him.

She wasn't very good at expressing her feelings. Marinette was very hesitant, she tended to say the opposite of what she was thinking.

That was what she liked about Luka.

She didn't need to say a word. It was as if he was able to read her soul.

It was nice.

But one day...

_One day I could tell you how I feel about you._

**Luka died two hours later.**

-XxxX-

Netty's website was the image of its creator: completely eccentric.

The credits at the entrance of the site were entitled "I'll Be There for You" by The Rembrandts. It was a forty-eight second animation, showing photos and scenes of all those who had participated in the creation of the website: **The Jewels of Netty**.

It was clearly a tribute to the series "F.R.I.E.N.D.S".

At the beginning began guitar notes. Appearing in the background, Wayne Manor, in the foreground, there was an empty couch and a lighted lamp next to it.

The lyrics of the music began flowing.

_**So, no one told your life was going to be this way.** _

__

One by one the creators of the site as well as the models made their appearance.

M. Al Ghul-Wayne aka Netty Wayne.

She made her entrance with an umbrella in the shape of a water lily, completely red in color.

D. Al Ghul-Wayne aka Ice Prince.

Ice Prince pushed her sister and took the umbrella from her hands.

The young lady disappeared from the scene.

_***Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap*** _

At each slap, a photo shoot appeared, showing different types of clothing, both male and female.

_**Your job’s a joke, you’re broke, you’re love life’s DOA.** _

W-J. B aka Kitten.

J.C aka Tigress.

Both appeared while dancing. Each dance step made them change their clothes.

_**It’s like you’re always stuck in second gear,** _

K.T aka Dragon Fly.

L.C aka Lucario.

Lucario appeared with his guitar. Every note he played with his guitar made Dragon Fly change clothes.

Netty quickly passed in front of the camera. She was chasing her brother Ice Prince with her umbrella.

_**Well, it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year. But…** _

_**I’ll be there for you,** _

Several photos were quickly displayed. They showed different moments that the young people had spent together.

The common thread in these photos was that everyone was smiling (including Damian). 

_**(when the rain starts to pour.)** _

_**I’ll be there for you,** _

_**(Like I’ve been there before).** _

_**I’ll be there for you,** _

The last scene showed Marinette and Damian tied up in a corner. Billy (Kitten) and Juleka (Tigress) looked at them and laughed. Kagami (Dragon Fly) had a panel with the words "10/10" and a thumb in the air. Luka was the only one sitting on the couch. He had his guitar in his hand, imperturbable. He was the one who turned off the lamp.

_**‘Cause you’re there for me too.** _

__

A curtain closed, then reopened to make space for the website.

Tikki looked at her holder, extremely worried.

Marinette pressed the "play" button again. She looked at her screen in an absent-minded manner.

She had spent her morning watching this promotional video for her new website.

Tikki could feel the powerful aura of Lazarus' well, surrounding her young holder. The little Kwami could hear the voices of the waters of the pit. These voices came from the negative feelings of the former users of the Lazarus pits. These waters were cursed. They healed the wounds, but in exchange they destroyed the spirit of the user.

The deeper one plunged into these waters, the crazier one became.

She was sure that Marinette could hear the voices too.

“You must avenge him.”

“You have to kill the person responsible.”

“Why are you still here, kid?”

“Blood... we need blood...”

“You're just an incompetent.”

It had been a week since Luka had been mugged. He was quickly rescued by a passing couple. They had witnessed the scene of the assault and immediately called the police.

Unfortunately, that was not enough.

**Luka was dead.**

Her carrier's family had decided to make the trip to Paris. The Kwami saw how attached these people were to each other. They had run to support Marinette.

They were a real family.

But Tikki could not help but have a very bad feeling.

Marinette was extremely calm.

TOO calm.

She didn't react at all when the news of Luka's attack came out. Marinette was calm and aloof. She was the one who stood by Luka's mother and sister.

She shed no tears.

She showed no emotion.

Tikki soon realized that the bluenette's family was extremely worried because of her lack of reaction. And of course, a certain Lila Rossi (who unfortunately had returned to middle school) had taken the opportunity to spread her web of lies about Marinette.

Now, rumors were circulating that Marinette had orchestrated the death of her boyfriend. Other people were saying that she was a heartless girl.

The voices from the pit were getting louder and louder.

“SHUT UP!”

Tikki was startled, then looked at Marinette in surprise.

The voices stopped.

However, her scream immediately drew attention.

Jason appeared in the room.

“Marinette? Is something wrong?”

“…”

“Hmm.”

Jason approached Marinette, then embraced her.

The teenager said absolutely nothing, she just let him.

Tikki felt responsible. She was at the origin of the Lazarus Well, several millennia ago.

Perhaps after this mission is finished, the Master will authorize her to go and destroy these damn wells, with the help of Plagg?

-XxxX-

Still, life was a funny concept.

One day it gives us wonderful gifts. The next day she stabs us in the back.

Maybe that was Karma?

She had to pay for all those innocent souls she had reaped?

Marinette knew she was sad.

Yet no tears would come out.

The abyss that had formed in her heart was immense. It was as if someone had ripped out her heart and kept stabbing her in the same place over and over again. The world had no flavor, no color. She felt as if an abyss had opened under her feet, and she fell, again and again, without being able to stop.

She felt as if she was no longer living, as if she was a mere spectator.

Why couldn't she cry?

Why couldn't she just be normal?

What was wrong with her?

Her family was there for her.

But **she didn't care at all.**

Was she just a _monster_?

Marinette suddenly felt like giving up everything. To give up everything and just go back to her mother. At least when she was with Sandra, she didn't have to wonder. She didn't need to feel. Her only mission was to do what her mother told her to do.

She was just a doll.

And life was much simpler that way.

No feelings.

No relationships.

No attachment.

No waiting.

No pain.

**Nothing.**

Marinette was tired.

Tired of this life.

Always having to look behind her, to see if there was a murderer after her.

Never having any peace.

Never being able to control her emotions.

To always have to lie. Wearing a stupid mask all the time.

She hated her heritage as an Al Ghul.

She hated her heritage as a Wayne.

She hated her very existence.

Marinette touched her earring.

_I am not worthy to wear this jewelry. I'm just a murderer, bringing bad luck to the few people who have the misfortune to become attached to me._

The young girl was not surprised to see her father come to her one evening and ask her to hand over her Miraculous.

She was now "compromised".

The bluenette did not try to resist. She did exactly what her father asked her to do.

“Marinette, you're going back to Gotham tomorrow. I want you to stay with Alfred.”

“…”

Her father put a hand, which was meant to be reassuring, on her shoulder.

“Honey, we will find the culprit, I promise you that justice will be done.”

“…”

Marinette preferred to keep quiet.

**She had failed.**

As a heroine.

As a partner.

As a leader.

As a girlfriend.

As a daughter.

As a Sister.

As a Person.

She was just a good-for-nothing.

_Why? Why did you teach me what love means? Why did you teach me that? If it was just to abandon me afterwards... I wish I had never met you._

-XxxX-

It was decided that Dick, his wife and daughter would leave.

Tim decided to stay with his little sister. Cass also chose to return to Gotham. She knew that by staying in Paris... If she got her hands on the _scum_ that had hurt her little sister... she risked committing an _irreversible act_. (And she was worried about Steph, who had been left all alone to protect Gotham).

Billy decided to leave as well. After all, with Batman in Paris, and knowing the identity of the criminal, his presence near the Guardian was not essential anymore. (And he felt guilty for not being able to help Luka, whom he considered a friend. He found it hard to see Marinette in such a... _pitiful state_. He just wanted to... _run away_ ).

Jon decided to stay in Paris. He was angry. For him, it was out of the question to leave this city without catching the vermin that had killed his friend! (He couldn't bear to see Marinette so down. He hadn't been there for her the first time... when the Joker tortured her for several days, turning her into a puppet. And this time... While he was in the city, he hadn't been able to save the most important person for her. He felt miserable. He had failed as a friend. He had failed to protect his best friend).

From the Bat-clan, only Batman, Robin and Red Hood remained.

** And they were furious. **

-XxxX-

Gabriel Agreste was a strict man, sure of his choices and extremely stubborn.

He was also a man in despair. He had not accepted his wife's death and would probably never accept it.

That was why he had become the Hawkmoth.

He wanted to have his beloved wife by his side again.

No matter the sacrifices.

No matter how many people would have to suffer.

He would remove any obstacle in his path.

Who cared about the lives of others? What did it matter to him to put others in danger? Why should he care about the fate of a few peasants?

He deserved to be happy.

His son deserved to have his mother.

That's why he came up with this plan.

His plan was perfect.

Gabriel had put his whole heart into it.

He was convinced that he was going to succeed.

He had been looking forward to Heroes Day. Indeed, this year exceptionally, some members of the Justice League would be present: Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman.

Gabriel was certain that Ladybug, Robin and Superboy would also be there.

“Are you ready Nathalie?”

“More than ever, sir.”

Gabriel smiled.

He had planned to akumatize Lila as Volpina, so that she would create an illusion that could attract the heroes present in Paris and make them appear in a bad light.

Then, with the help of Nathalie, whom he would akumatize to boost his powers, he planned to send a shower of butterflies that would increase the number of akumatized.

The panic and the chao that would follow would only increase the number of his victims.

He also planned to use some of his former akumatized to create the negative emotions he needed if necessary.

The panic, coupled with the destruction, would attract more heroes, who would in turn be akumatized.

Gabriel would only have to blackmail Ladybug and the holder of the miraculous cat. Of course, if the two kids were not caught before, by the members of the Akumatized Justice League. 

Gabriel knew that this plan would involve the sacrifice of many people.

**But he didn't care.**

So what if the blood was going to be spilled? Once he got his wish, it would all be over. This reality would be erased, and another would take its place.

A reality in which his precious Emilie would still be alive.

-XxxX-

Jon had donned his Superboy uniform and was patrolling the skies over Paris. He was in charge of the tourist area near the Eiffel Tower. Robin was patrolling another tourist area.

With Heroes' Day, and the announced presence of the Justice League, many people had made the trip to Paris.

He followed the parade of inflatable balloons in the effigy of the heroes. There was one for each hero who had already appeared in the city. There was even one in his image, which made him rather uncomfortable.

Jon couldn't help but keep his eyes glued to the Ladybug balloon. He bit his lip to swallow his anger.

The day before, Batman had made it clear that Hawkmoth would most likely take the opportunity to attack. It was imperative to keep the situation under control, otherwise the League's reputation could be at risk. With the current tensions between the French and American governments, this was clearly not the time to throw oil on the fire.

While on patrol, he suddenly noticed two figures who appeared to be fighting over one of the inflatable balloons. Jon was able to see that it was "Ladybug" and another person he didn't know. Judging from his costume, it was probably the first Cat Noir. He immediately pressed his earpiece to let the other heroes know what he had found.

“I have a situation. Two people are posing as Ladybug and Cat Noir. They are fighting on top of one of the balloons.”

Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman who were present but were part of another parade of heroes heard the report. Batman immediately took matters into his own hands.

“Everyone stayed in position for the moment. Superboy, keep watching the scene for now. Intervenes only when necessary.”

“Understood.”

Jon got closer to the two imposters.

When the fake Cat spotted him, he started to scream.

“NO! Don't go near Superboy! Ladybug was akumatized!”

The news was heard by the people under the balloons. Panic gripped the tourists, and they ran away. Other people started to film the scene with their cell phones. Jon noticed that a helicopter was approaching the scene.

_Ok... This comedy has gone far enough._

Using his vision X, Jon quickly realized that it was an illusion. He moved fast towards the imposters, and in one fell swoop he made them disappear.

Jon then began to look around him. The presence of these illusions indicated that a person had already been akumatized. He listened to find out where the victim might be.

Then cries of horror began to be heard.

“OH MY GOD! SUPERBOY KILLED LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR!!!!”

_Huh?_

Jon looked in the direction of the people screaming. He realized that there were indeed two bodies on the ground. One was apparently that of "Ladybug", and the other one was that of the supposed "Black Cat".

The young hybrid frowned.

He landed on the ground and approached both "bodies". It was still an illusion. The problem was that the people around him didn't seem to realize it.

“Superboy was akumatized!”

That's what people were shouting.

**It didn't make any sense at all.**

The trouble was that the shouting had caught Robin's attention and he came to see what all the fuss was about.

Robin saw the two bodies on the ground and looked up at him.

“These are all illusions.”

“TT.”

Robin immediately contacted Batman. He then learned that an illusion had also appeared to them. Now people were convinced that Wonder Woman had killed one of the heroes of Paris.

As Batman was about to give his instructions, a wave of red butterflies appeared out of nowhere. There were so many red butterflies that Jon thought it was a scarlet cloud.

Several people were being akumatized at the same time.

Jon and Robin soon found themselves surrounded by akumatized people. It was hellish! Each time they released a person, they were immediately re-akumatized. Jon tried to get rid of them with his laser vision, but nothing could be done, there were too many butterflies.

To make things worse, they received information from Batman that their fight was being broadcast live on television. This caused many Parisians to be frightened by the scene, which attracted the akumas.

Jon gritted his teeth.

**It was really bad.**

Then Jon noticed something strange. He was not alone in the sky. There was a guy in red, with a kind of broken heart emblem on his chest, with bird wings, who was going to shoot an arrow at Robin.

“ROBIN!”

Alas, calling out his name, Robin raised his head to him. Jon was of course faster than the arrow and stood in front of his friend to protect him. He just hadn't planned for the arrow to enter in his heart.

A magic arrow.

Jon felt a wave of rage sweep over him.

“Superboy?! Shit!”

Robin tried to cut off the butterflies that were approaching him at high speed. However, the butterfly then _entered_ in Robin's sword.

Robin fell to his knees and held his head with his hands.

He was resisting.

Jon could see the butterflies approaching him. He flew as high as he could, where he knew the insects would not be able to follow him.

The young hybrid began to scream in rage. All the frustration, anger, sadness, and distress that he had kept in his heart came out in violence. He felt his blood boiling in his veins.

Jon wanted to kill.

**NO!**

He struggled desperately to keep control of his nerves.

_Think positive, think positive._

He let out several cries of rage.

_NO! NO! NO!_

Jon could not succumb to hate so easily! He couldn't let all the work that Marinette had done so far be in vain!

_Marinette..._

He focused all his thoughts on his friend.

Jon felt anger. Every cell in his body was screaming at him to destroy everything.

But he resisted.

_Marinette..._

She was the only one who could handle Hawkmoth.

It was imperative that he find his friend.

Jon flew as quickly as possible to the Guardian's house. Once there, he entered the building by force, destroying the wall.

He was not in his right mind.

His only desire was to kill this stupid old man, who had given such a heavy task to a teenage girl. As if Marinette didn't have enough problems in her life as it was. It was all the fault of this old, senile and stupid man!

**NO.**

Jon shook his head several times.

He concentrated and could hear the old man. He had left the place and was trying to escape with the jewelry box.

He had to hurry. Jon had to take the box and give it to Marinette. He knew the Bat-Clan would be here soon. Even if Robin was strong, he had probably been attacked by this flying guy too... He didn't know if his father, Wonder Woman and Batman had made it... Was Red Hood okay?

Jon landed forcefully in front of the old fugitive, making a crater appear on the ground.

He didn't give him time to do anything. He stunned Master Fu and tore the jewel from his wrist. The young hybrid then retrieved the jewelry box. Jon's eyes lingered on the body on the ground.

He wanted to kill the old bastard.

How could such an incompetent man become a Guardian?

Jon realized that several red butterflies were coming towards him.

He shook his head violently again.

Jon flew to Gotham as fast as he could. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to contain the anger bubbling in his veins. Jon was desperately trying to focus on positive feelings so he wouldn't go crazy.

He remembered meeting the Wayne twins.

Those times when they would come to his grandparents' farm for the weekend.

The missions they had done together.

That outing to the amusement park with Mari.

He remembered the first gift Mari had given him. A plush toy with the effigy of Krypto that she had made herself.

_Marinette…_

-XxxX-

Marinette was in the movie theater at the Manoir. She was watching a Western movie with Alfred.

Suddenly, a huge noise, like a bomb, sounded. The walls of the Manor began to shake.

Surprised, Marinette rushed out of the theater to go to the source of the noise. Alfred followed in her footsteps.

There was a huge hole at the entrance of the Manor.

As Marinette approached, she realized it was Jon. Right in front of him was the Miraculous Box. Some of the jewels were on the ground.

Jon was rolling on the ground screaming like a possessed animal.

“P-PARIS... ATTACK... RAAAAHHHHHHHH!”

Marinette noticed that he had black lips.

It was the work of " Dark Cupid ", Marinette had no doubt about it. She turned to Alfred, who was at her side.

“Alfred, Contact everyone. We need an emergency meeting. Also contact the League, tell them not to intervene now! Don't worry about Jon, I'll take care of him.”

“Understood.”

Alfred left immediately for the cave.

Marinette approached Jon slowly.

When he saw her, he threw her to the ground violently. Marinette felt a violent pain in her head.

“I-... I hate you. You're a stupid spoiled little bitch. A murderer!”

Marinette remained silent, listening to Jon shout some of the most horrible words to her. Then Jon finally let her go. He held her head with his hands. Marinette then took the opportunity to approach him again. She grabbed his top and pulled it forward towards her.

Marinette then put a kiss on his lips.

By the time she moved away from him, Jon had come to his senses.

“What had happened?”

Jon watched her in shock.

“Marinette? Are you back in Paris?”

“Jon... You're in Gotham.”

“I'm in Gotham. What? But why am I... FUCK PARIS!”

Jon was on his way back, but Marinette stopped him.

“Don’t go back. You'll only make things worse.”

“But...”

Marinette bent down, picked up the Miracle Box and put the jewels back inside.

“Come with me to the Bat-Cave.”

“Marinette... There's no time to lose, Paris is in danger!”

“I know. I have a plan.”

Jon looked Marinette straight in the eye. She looked back at him. He could see that she was confident. The young hero nodded. Marinette walked towards the cave, and he followed her.

“Marinette... You don't look surprised.”

“That's because I'm not.”

“You... You knew this was going to happen?”

“Let's just say... I had my suspicions. I think my father suspected it, too...”

“Hmm.”

When they arrived at the cave, he noticed that there were several heroes talking with Alfred.

Jon saw Marinette take a deep breath and then approached, with a determined step towards Alfred.

The young man smiled.

**The time for the counterattack had arrived.**

* * *

**BONUS: A few hours before Marinette leaves for Gotham.**

Bruce was feeling frustrated.

As soon as he heard the news of his daughter's boyfriend's assault, his first instinct was to get on the first plane to Paris. Marinette was a sensitive teenager. Because of the many abuses she had experienced as a child, she was not managing her emotions well.

Had he made a mistake by letting Marinette come to this city?

Was it too much to ask, to let his little girl have some break?

As he brooded over his anger, a faint knock at his door caught his attention. When he opened the door of his hotel room, he was surprised to find Marinette there. He immediately let her in.

They sat together on his bed. 

There was a silence. Marinette was the first to break the silence.

“I can't sleep anymore... I can't stop thinking about it. I keep hearing voices in my mind because of the water from the pit... I can't help thinking, this is Karma.”

“Honey... it's not your fault.”

“I have blood on my hands.”

“…”

“I know who did it. I know who killed Luka.”

Bruce frowned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> W-J. B : William Joseph "Billy" Batson  
> J. C : Juleka Couffaine  
> L. C: Luka Couffaine  
> K.T: Kagami Tsurugi


	19. Heroes' Day [Part 2] Turning the Page

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the pre-last chapter of this story. FINALLY...
> 
> I am so sorry it took me so long to get it out, but believe it or not, I thought I would never make it.
> 
> First my computer doesn't work anymore, except that this story was recorded on the computer and not the cloud, Result? I lost everything I had originally planned for the end O_O. And since I hadn't written anything on Paper......................... I admit it depressed me.
> 
> Then with the courses, my research for my dissertation, the Covid and all that T^T...
> 
> Anyway.
> 
> I'm sorry ^^".

_The time has finally come Emilie... In a few minutes we will be together again, you and me._

Scarlet Moth watched the scene unfolding at his feet with satisfaction. He was on the Eiffel Tower, watching as the three emblematic members of the Justice League stood guard at the Eiffel Tower for him.

Batman had become _Owlman_.

Superman had become _Ultraman_.

Wonder Woman had become _Superwoman_.

The icing on the cake?

Some of Batman's allies were also on his side.

Red Hood became _Arkham Knight_.

Red Robin became _Drake_.

Robin became _Red Bird_.

They were kind enough to bring him the Guardian of the Miraculous. Alas, the Miracle Box was not with him, and the man had become amnesic. Batman's three former partners were searching the entire city for the Miracle Box.

At the same time, he discovered, thanks to Owlman, that Ladybug had installed a magical security fence around the city of Paris. Alas, he could not find out more because Owlman was not completely under his control. He ordered the man to deactivate the barrier. Unfortunately, this was apparently impossible. Only Ladybug or the Guardian could get rid of the barrier since it was magic.

Batman had not usurped his reputation. Scarlet Moth spent a lot of energy keeping him under his control. Not only him, the mind of the two other heroes Superman and Wonder Woman, were struggling to regain control. The same was true of Batman's sidekicks. And he also had to keep all the akumatized people in the city.

It was only a matter of time before other heroes would come to Paris to try to stop him, and then it would be checkmate.

-XxxX-

Jon watched the scene unfolding in front of him with a certain fascination. Marinette spoke to all these great heroes with an insolence that rivaled that of Damian. These two were not twins for nothing.

“Kid, would you mind rehearsing? I think I misunderstood.”

Aquaman was the one who spoke. He had always been the one against the idea of letting Marinette manage the situation in Paris. Apparently, one of the Miraculous had caused the destruction of Atlantis a long time ago.

“With great pleasure. I ask you to follow my plan and refrain from intervening in Paris directly.”

“We are wasting our time. Let's put an end to this commotion.”

“Oooh...~ That way you will all be akumatized and Hawkmoth will only have to threaten to use you to destroy the earth or something similar, in exchange for the Miraculous, and the inhabitants of the earth and the few members of the JL or any other team that will have escaped the massacre will have no choice but to obey. Best idea of the year~.”

“...”

“First of all, I know that Batman briefed you about the situation in Paris. The French government wants to get its hands on the Miraculous to use them as weapons. If you intervene, with the tensions that are currently taking place between the two countries, the French government will use your intervention as an excuse to get the jewels back. Secondly, Superman, Wonder Woman and part of the Bat-Clan is affected, we don't need to aggravate the situation. Thirdly, I said that the JL should not intervene officially ... unofficially ... That's another story.”

Marinette didn't give anyone time to cut her off and outlined her plan as quickly as possible. Time was the key to their victory.

“Don't you wonder why Hawkmoth took the risk of akumatizing three of the pillars of the JL? I'll tell you why. This will give him access to the League's secrets. Hawkmoth must already know the identity of my former team, my identity, my family's identity and probably that of the members of the Justice League. What this psychopath wants is to put us all over the wall. Even if we manage to stop him, the information he has will be enough to put pressure on us. Think how the French government is going to love having a guy who knows all the League's secrets at their disposal... I'll also let you imagine how the American government will react.”

There was silence in the room.

“If Hawkmoth gets his hands on the Miraculous, the world we know will disappear. But that isn't the only problem. It' s also necessary to protect everyone's identity, the secrets of the League, the secret of the Miraculous. I'm not here to have an ego competition to see who has the best plan. I'm here because I want to protect my loved ones, I want to protect my friends, I want to protect humanity. So I ask you one last time, are you going to listen to me, or are we going to continue this sterile debate about who is right and who is wrong?”

All the heroes stared at Marinette. None of them spoke.

“I know it sounds pretentious. None of you have any reason to believe in my plan. To believe in _me_. After all, I'm one of the main reasons why the JL's popularity and confidence has been declining. An hour and a half. That's all I ask. If in two hours we haven't succeeded and my plan has failed, you'll be free to do whatever you want. Plus... no one can blame you for intervening after that time. Even the French government won't be able to say anything, because I know they will have failed. Tanks and weapons can't do anything against magic.”

Marinette looked attentively at every face in front of her on the screen. She couldn't let the slightest emotion, the slightest doubt show through.

But she couldn't fool Jon. He could clearly read between the lines.

Marinette was shaking with fear.

By Rao, the girl had just lost her boyfriend (who, by the way, was also her very first love). She was completely depressed, with her mood down. And now... She was going to have to face her own family, Superman and Wonder Woman, whom she saw as an aunt and uncle, in the hands of a psychopath. It wasn't just about saving Paris, it was about saving Humanity. If Gabriel Agreste got his hands on the jewels... it would be the end of the world as we knew it.

Jon was aware of all this.

He could only admire the audacity of his young friend.

Finally, Green Arrow was the first to speak. He hadn't said anything since the meeting began.

“An hour and a half. That's fine with me.”

“You can't be serious?!”

“I am dead serious. Before being Ladybug, this kid was Red Robin's sidekick. She's Batman's biological daughter, and probably one of the best fighters on the planet. If she says she can do it in an hour and a half, she can do it in an hour and a half.”

“I'm joining Green Arrow.” [Flash]

“Hm. I also agree to let LadyBird handle the situation.” [Martian]

One by one, the members of the JL made their decision.

Marinette had won her bet.

When the meeting ended, she turned to him. He approached her and took her in his arms. Jon could feel the teenager's body shaking against him. Their embrace lasted only a few seconds.

Marinette broke away from his embrace. She took a breath for a few more seconds. Then, when she looked at him again, this time right in the eyes. Jon could see the determination he had always seen in her gaze.

He smiled.

She smiled back at him.

Hawkmoth had provoked the wrong person.

_And he's going to bite his fingers off._

-XxxX-

“LadyBird, Hawkmoth has just addressed the television again, he gives thirty minutes for Ladybug and the holder of the Cat Miraculous to hand over the jewels, otherwise he will broadcast all the information he has about the Justice League every ten minutes.”

“So predictable... Thank you Oracle.”

Marinette had put on her old Ladybird uniform (just an extra security measure in case things went wrong, she would still have one last bulwark to protect her secret identity). She was now standing in front of several heroes she had solicited for the Paris mission. Her only desire was to run away. She had the fate of a city, no... of the whole world in her hands.

_No Marinette, this is not the time to doubt your abilities._

“This is how this mission will unfold. We will have to attack on several different fronts. The first team will serve as a diversion. You will face The Three Terrors directly. For that I'm going to give you Miraculous.”

The first team will be composed of Krypton with the Monkey Miraculous, Wonder girl with the Bee Miraculous and Nightwing with the Turtle Miraculous.

“The second team will be in charge of neutralizing Red Hood, Red Robin and Robin, then you will be in charge of neutralizing Nathalie Sancoeur, Hawkmoth's minion. Oracle has established that she is the one who was akumatized. She will give you more details.”

The second team consisted of Batgirl with the Dragon's Miraculous, Spoiler with the Horse's Miraculous, and Signal who would not have a Miraculous, but would wear a device to create a solid hologram, he would pose as Fox, the former holder of the Fox's Miraculous. They were going to take care of neutralizing their family members who had been akumatized. During this time, Catwoman was going to neutralize Nathalie Sancoeur, she had the Mouse Miraculous. 

The one who had the most difficult task would be Green Lantern who was going to have the Fox Miraculous. He was going to have to control a city-wide illusion to make everyone believe that the holders who were fighting were those who had appeared before. Marinette chose Hal Jordan precisely because he was extremely creative and probably one of the most powerful Green Lanterns that could exist. Creating illusions would be child's play for him.

Finally, Marinette entrusted two Miraculous to Superboy: the Rabbit Miraculous and the Snake Miraculous. He would be in charge of observing the battle scenes and going back in time if necessary to repair any mistakes made by each one. This was a key role and Marinette could not entrust this task to just anyone. Jon was a much sharper tactician than people gave him credit for. The bluenette had complete confidence in her best friend.

Where was Marinette in the story?

Simple, she was going to get back her role as "Ladybug" and Billy would become her " Cat Noir ". Together they would face Hawkmoth head on. The two Miraculous were again entrusted to Master Fu, normally two other people would be chosen to become the new duo of heroes who would protect Paris. Fortunately, Jon had managed to get the Miracle Box back.

Meanwhile, another team was in charge of creating an alibi for everyone. The heroes' secret identities had to be protected at all costs. Even if Gabriel Agreste spoke, if there was no evidence to back up his words, no one would take him seriously.

The plan was simple on paper, but complicated to implement in the field.

“Gentlemen, ladies, it's time to show this psychopathic insect that he provoked the wrong people.”

-XxxX-

Gabriel was confident.

Ten minutes had passed.

The young heroes must have been wondering how to handle the situation without the Justice League. Gabriel was not devoid of intelligence. He was sure that the Justice League would not take the risk of coming to Paris when three of their number had already been akumatized and some of Batman's partners were on his side.

The only downside of his plan was that he actually had no idea of the secret identities of the heroes. Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman had refused to talk. They were fighting his mind control. The three men who accompanied Batman were equally difficult to maintain under his control.

Gabriel was tired.

But no one knew about it. He had deliberately put Ladybug and the holder of the Cat Miraculous in difficult positions. He was not sure who the holder of the Cat Miraculous was. There had been at least four to five different holders, all with different names. Only the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous seemed to be always the same person. If Ladybug was indeed Batman's daughter, then probably the three men he had akumatized had been holders. Alas, he did not succeed in getting them to confess their identities, let alone reveal the identity of Ladybug. The former Guardian was also of no use, he had no memory. The old man had become an empty shell. Gabriel didn't know how this was possible...

20 minutes elapsed.

What were they doing?

They didn't risk contacting the Justice League, did they? In any case, even if they had been foolish enough to do so, they would all be akumatized the moment they approached the Eiffel Tower.

Only 5 minutes left before the end of the time he had allotted. Now there was the army approaching the place, but they were blocked by the cloud of red butterflies that Scarlet Moth had created.

Had they abandoned the fate of Paris?

A person appeared on top of the Trocadero.

“Scarlet Moth, I hope you enjoyed Volpina's illusion, because the real Ladybug will never give you her Miraculous.”

He saw the young heroes appearing one by one at Ladybug's side.

So there was Ladybug, Cat Noir ( the first one), Monkey King and Queen Bee. He assumed that the hero dressed in green was probably a new holder. That was presumptuous. That explained why Ladybug and Cat Noir had not appeared earlier, they had gone to look for reinforcements.

Gabriel started to laugh. He felt euphoric. The day he had been waiting for so long had finally arrived, he would soon be able to see his dear Emilie again.

“If I understand correctly, you want to fight? Very well, so be it. Superwoman, Owlman, Ultraman.”

The three of them presented themselves in front of Scarlet Moth.

“Guitar Villain, Nightingale, Music!”

Scarlet Moth's army started marching.

The young heroes marched in the same way. Immediately, Monkey King flew off to face Ultraman, Queen Bee punched Superwoman in the face, and then the new superhero chose Owlman as his opponent.

To his surprise, Ladybug and Cat Noir, alone managed to beat the other remaining villains and headed straight for him.

It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Gabriel wanted to call the three remaining partners of Batman, Arkham Knight, Drake and Red Bird, but none of them answered his call.

What was going on?

Never mind, he still had one last card to play. The man contacted Volpina to create an illusion for him.

-XxxX-

Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived at the top of the Eiffel Tower. They immediately invoked their power. However, it was the illusion of Volpina who stood before them. He only had to wait for the right moment when they would both be distracted by Volpina's illusion, he could akumatize them with his red butterflies.

Then suddenly he felt something strange, like some kind of pain in his chest. To Gabriel's horror, he reverted to his Hawkmoth form and lost contact with Nathalie.

All those he had akumatized in his Scarlet Moth form returned to their normal appearance.

It was impossible!

HOW?!

While he was trying to figure out what had happened, the Eiffel Tower disintegrated, and he found himself in freefall. However, Ladybug caught him with her yo-yo. Cat Noir caught Volpina who also fell.

“No, no, no, no, NO! That's impossible! HOW?!”

Ladybug approached him with a smirk on her face.

“My poor little _Gabriel_... You don't look well...”

Gabriel felt his blood freezing.

Ladybug snatched the Butterfly's brooch from him, revealing his identity to the whole world.

Cat Noir approached too; a smile as ferocious as Ladybug's. He was holding Lila Rossi firmly.

Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman walked towards them. The other young heroes too.

“NO! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! Emilie! Emilie! I have to save my wife Emilie! Don't you understand?!”

He started screaming and fighting, but he was arrested by the police and taken away.

Lila Rossi was also taken for questioning.

“What are you doing?! LET ME GO! It' s not my fault! I had nothing to do with it! I was akumatized!”

No one listened to her.

Ladybug used her Miraculous Ladybug that repaired all the damage.

Hawkmoth had been defeated.

-XxxX-

Marinette's plan had worked beyond all expectations. Everyone had really believed that it was the former Parisian heroes who had saved Paris.

Once Gabriel was arrested, everyone quickly withdrew and gathered at the Watchtower. Superman was the first to speak. He had a solemn attitude. Wonder Woman and Batman also looked serious.

“Who' s responsible for the plan against Hawkmoth?”

Everyone pointed to LadyBird (even the older heroes, THE TRAITORS).

“I see.”

Superman closed his eyes.

“I must say that this plan... Was not only incredibly risky, but also...”

He opened his eyes again and looked at LadyBird.

“Extremely _bright_.”

Marinette did her best not to show her relief. She knew perfectly well that she had taken enormous risks. The plan was flawed and based on a lot of speculation. If Gabriel had known about the cameras in his house, he could have trapped the heroes there. Moreover, Nathalie's position was not even certain. If someone had lost their temper, that would have been the end as well. It was a miracle that the akumatized were not such good fighters... It was a stroke of luck that Nathalie was quickly neutralized... For Marinette, it was purely a lucky strike.

Batman approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Good job.”

Marinette felt pretty proud... it was rare for her father to congratulate anyone. She could see the smile of Superman and Wonder Woman... She didn't dare look at the other heroes, but she was sure they were just as amused as her elders.

[Later, Jon explained to her that Batman looked like a peacock showing his feathers, typically the image of the Daddy proud of his little girl. It was so obvious that everyone wanted to laugh at the serious image he was trying to display].

**Two weeks later.**

As Marinette had anticipated, Gabriel was asked about the identity of the heroes, but to the bluenette's relief, she had underestimated her elders. No names had filtered out. Thanks to this, she had an ironclad alibi; no one suspected that she had ever been Ladybug.

The teenager was not at all happy with the results of this victory...

Poor Adrien had now become an outcast. It was terrible... Children shouldn't have to pay the price for their parents' mistakes.

Her father did everything he could to help the young blond boy, helping him find the best lawyers to protect him. Until his father and the former secretary could be tried, he was going to have to live with his aunt Amélie and his cousin Felix. The blond boy didn't want to and cried a lot when he heard the news. He and his cousin didn't get along at all. At Damian's suggestion (yes, Damian could be nice from time to time...), the Dupain-Cheng became the blond's guardians.

Master Fu had completely lost his memory. Marinette knew that this was the consequence of giving up being the Guardian of the Miraculous. Wayzz informed her that she had become the new Guardian. The teenager had really liked Fu, she saw him as a rather greedy grandfather. However, when she realized the burden the old man had given her, she wanted to kill him.

Many people were seriously traumatized by Hawkmoth's repeated attacks and now that the man had been apprehended, they were finally allowing themselves to break down. Consultations with psychologists had exploded. The government decided to put the blame on the Mayor of Paris to save face (difficult to tell the population that they had let Hawkmoth do it only because they wanted to get their hands on the Miraculous...). The Mayor was dismissed and accused of corruption. (What was really sad was that this was true... André Bourgeois was using parisian public) money for his personal interests and had abused his powers more than once...). Chloe had to move to New York with her mother.

As for her class, several people fell from the top, starting with Alya. The girl she considered her best friend had helped a terrorist. The news shocked her so much that she fell into depression... (Marinette felt very sorry for her... It wasn't her fault, some people were just unscrupulous manipulators. Alya didn't really have any friends, so she became attached to the first person who showed interest in her).

Then, one last piece of news made Marinette feel uneasy.

Wayhem's body was found. It seems that he killed himself by writing a letter in which he confessed to killing Luka out of jealousy because he was dating the girl he had a crush on.

Marinette didn't believe it for a second.

Something had happened. She was sure that her brothers didn't know about it. The only person she had told was her father. But Batman wasn't a murderer. He never gave death. HE NEVER DID.

Marinette had been going through a lot of mixed feelings. On the one hand, she was relieved that this guy couldn't hurt anyone anymore, but on the other hand, she was angry. Deep down, she would have wanted to avenge her boyfriend herself. Wayhem's death was pathetic in the teenager's eyes. He was dead. It was over... For one stupid crush, Wayhem had taken the life of a great boy. Someone she had really loved...

It was after hearing this news that she allowed herself to cry for the first time.

-XxxX-

“ Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've posted something... You've probably heard about the story of the terrorist attack in Paris... It hasn't been much fun lately. But, I have great news, Netty Wayne is back! And this time, with a big surprise!”

Netty pulled the arm of someone who appeared on camera, completely embarrassed. The newcomer had a white venitian mask with bluish patterns that covered his entire face, revealing only his eyes. His hair was white as snow. He was much taller than Netty.

“This is _Samy_ , he will be my new assistant from today. He is also my bodyguard. Look how cute he is. [ ruffles Sammy's hair ] Come on, wave to the camera!”

Samy made a shy gesture to the camera, while mumbling "I'm not a dog".

“I'm here to officially announce that I'm going to stay the rest of my schooling in Paris. I will only return to Gotham for the vacations. My father has finally given me permission to stay...”

Netty announced the official release of her new brand for early January. She talked a bit about what was happening in Paris, with Samy who made some small comments.

At the end of their shooting. Jon sat next to her and watched her edit the video.

“So... Are you really going to stay? I thought your father had decided to confine you in the Manor after this mission. Besides, Damian is going back to Gotham too, right?”

“Mmm. You decided to stay in Paris, as well. Why is that?”

Jon sighed.

“I need a change of scenery and Superboy needs a vacation. And then... Now that Ladybug and Cat Noir have retired, someone has to stay and protect the city, right?”

“Hmmmmmm... Or maybe you enjoy living your own life without your parents constantly on your back to remind you of who you were, while you want them to accept who you've become.”

“ .... Also...”

“Mostly.”

“Hmmm... And you?”

Marinette remained silent for a moment. Finally, she stretched like a cat, then turned her face towards Jon.

“I was born in a ring. All my life I've been beaten to death or used as a puppet. I fought because I thought it was the only thing I could do. That it was what I was born to do.”

She brought her legs back to her, sitting cross-legged in her chair.

“All my childhood -non-existing, I must admit- I heard my mother tell me that I was a doll. I told myself for a long time that she was right. Am I who I am because I want to be that way or because someone told me to be like this? I'm tired of hearing people around me tell me how I should feel... I've heard so many different definitions of the word "normal" that I wonder if this normality ever existed.”

She looked up at the ceiling, pensive.

Jon didn't move, waiting for her to finish talking.

“Who am I in all this? Marinette Wayne? Marinette Al-Ghul? Netty? Do I love my family or did I just convince myself that I loved them? Did I really love Luka or did I just love the idea of being in love? Do I really like helping people or am I just doing it because I've been told it's right?”

She tousled her hair with her right hand. Then she sighed.

“I'm tired of living for others. I'm tired of desperately trying to fit into a box that someone else has determined for me. I am tired of going to therapy. I'm tired of others trying to fix me. I can't be fixed, I'm not a toy, I'm not a robot... I'm not a doll.”

The end of her sentence ended like a sigh.

Jon could hear Marinette's heart beating loudly.

“I decided to live for myself. I decided to be "selfish". I want to find out who I really am. I want to meet the real Marinette. To do that, I need to be away from everyone. That's all I need.”

Jon nodded and said nothing. There was nothing to say.

A comfortable silence settled in.

They didn't need words to understand each other.

It was the end of an adventure.

It was time to turn the page.

* * *

**Bonus 1: Damian... WT*?**

Marinette had gone back to Gotham to pick up a few things and to pick up Bridgette. To her surprise, her precious bunny was nowhere to be found. She began to panic.

Had her rabbit escaped from the Manor?

As she went down to the Bat-Cave, her cell phone in her hand ready to call her father. The Bluenette found herself in a very strange situation.

Damian had tied Bridgette to a chair and was presumably... interrogating her rabbit.

“So, I'm still waiting for an answer. Who are you?”

Damian had Bridgette's favorite toy in his hand. It was a paper toy shaped like a carrot. He threatened to tear the carrot if the rabbit didn't respond.

Marinette was so shocked that her only reaction was to drop her phone on the ground, which caught Damian's attention.

Their eyes met.

Damian looked at her with a completely serious look on his face.

“Can't you see you're disturbing my interrogation? Go away.”

Marinette came to her senses.

“Damian, WT*?!”

* * *

**Bonus 2: Daddy... WHY?**

It was official, Marinette hated her family.

It all started one month after she officially (and permanently) moved to Paris. One day, Marinette received a package from her father.

In the package were various assortments of chocolate, her favorite tea, several hot water bottles and a super cute plush toy. It was great, Marinette sent a message to her father to thank him. It was also a good thing, in two days she was going to get her period.

The following month, her father sent her another package. This time there was a whole package of Zlabia and other candy bags. There was also an assortment of Chinese herbal medicines for pain. It was nice, plus it was a good timing... She was soon reaching her fateful period.

At the end of the third month, Marinette began to wonder. It was the third time her father sent her a package with sweets. And other pharmaceutical products. She thanked him again.

By the fourth month, when she received another package from her father, Marinette realized with horror what was happening.

She picked up her phone and called the Bat-Cave directly.

Someone picked up the phone. She didn't pay any attention at all to who had just answered, she started screaming, angry.

“FATHER! DID YOU SERIOUSLY CALCULATE MY MENSTRUAL CYCLE?!”

There was a silence at the end of the line.

“Uh... Marinette, I think you have the wrong number.”

Marinette recognized the voice as Clark's. She then looked at her phone.

She had just called the Justice League and not the Bat-Cave.

The only thing Marinette could hear was laughter.


End file.
